Kite
by Charmisjess
Summary: Who's to know where the wind will take you? A simple mission goes horribly wrong for Padawan QuiGon, leaving him fighting for his life...and possibly his soul.
1. Light within Chaos

Rating: PG-13 for violence. Not much gore, no language, no sexuality, just violence. 

Disclaimer: Lucas owns Qui-Gon Jinn, and Dooku. He also owns the Jedi, their universe, the temple, etc. Jude Watson owns Tahl and Clee. U2 owns the lyrics placed randomly throughout the fic. All to them, I make no money. 

Thanks to: Borath and Katharine for being the worlds best betas. Marnie for her words of wisdom and letting me nick "Yan" as Dooku's first name. 

Dedicated to: My padawan, for her continual support and friendship. If it wasn't for her, this fic would be trashed. I don't know how many times she's looked over this story, and given me her feedback. Thanks.

__

Primal animal fear ran through him like a current of electricity. His lungs pleaded for air as he gasped, completely winded, and leaned against the stone wall. He couldn't rest, he wasn't safe here! His pursuers were closing in on him. He couldn't run anymore. He was trapped! Suddenly he was a small child again. A boy lost on Coruscant, cornered by a street gang...the old terror was back. Panic rushed through him, consuming his bravado like a fiery internal whirlwind. He forgot himself...

* 

"So that's a Jedi Knight?" the guard peered around the corner, eyeing a boy of about eighteen who sat bound to a chair in the main stronghold of the Lord Thorno, the ruler of the Muh-hadden. It was a rough, ugly building, full of rusted metal and broken glass. Not a proper base perhaps, but it served it's purpose well. The chair scraped as the body struggled against his bonds. He looked out of place, and was, really, for his kind were about as welcomed as a blaster to the head by the Muh-Haddan. 

The guards' companion, a burly human thug-type narrowed his beady eyes. "Nah! He's a bit small for a Jedi Knight."

The boy in question pulled against the binders that restrained him angrily. He had decidedly shaggy chestnut colored hair which was relatively short, save for one long braid that hung over his right shoulder. His eyes were deep, deep blue, usually reflecting calm, but now frustration at his position. He took no notice of the curious guards' stares, rather focusing the Force on the binders. Yes, he was a Jedi and a rather talented one too, although he still couldn't believe how he got into this mess. His name was Qui-Gon Jinn.

"But the boss said..."

"Yeah, I know, Lord Thorno would love to say he caught himself a real Jedi, but that there's only a baby one. A pada-whatcha-call-em...see his braid?"

"Yeah, I see it. So he really is one of them Jedi? Huh, he must be pretty young and stupid though, I hear he was really easy to catch!"

A few feet away, Qui-Gon gritted his teeth angrily. He was trying not to notice what the guards were saying, but the last phrase he felt enter him like a blade. Perhaps it was because it was just what he had been thinking himself. 

He had been sent to the planet of Childor to act as a guardian of peace between the two opposing parties of inhabitants, and to investigate claims that the Muh-Hadden were planning an attack. Childor was made up of two species, Philomel, a fuzzy sort of cross between a Wookie and an Ewok, and then the humanoid Muh-Hadden. In the past, the two societies had always lived in peace, until more recent years when the Muh-Hadden came under the leadership of Lord Thorno. Thorno was known to be a cruel dictator with what was best described as an unhealthy taste for power. He could be dangerous, yet the Philomel were known to be very paranoid about such things. It had been Qui-Gon's job to ensure that the arrogant ruler wasn't up to anything.

But the Council never thought he'd be bold enough to attack a Jedi Ambassador! _*Well, neither did I!!!_* Qui-Gon reflected ruefully.*But here I am.* It was his own mistake, he knew. If he had paid closer attention to the position of the guards, rather than brashly rushing in there, thinking they'd give him respect as a Jedi...It had been his first real solo mission. And he had flubbed it royally.

*What will Master Dooku think??!!!* His breathing hitched anxiously at the very idea. His Master was the perfect picture of elegant, lethal grace, which made Qui-Gon feel even clumsier and stupider in comparison. _And now I've proved again how incompetent I am._ But he was spared further thought on the matter as a tall robed man stepped forward and seized his arm. His voice was silky but icy cold and dangerous. 

"Lord Thorno will deal with you now!"

"You can tell Lord Thorno that he can-"

"Look *Jedi* if I were you I would shut my impudent mouth, unless you wish to suffer." The man turned sharply, his yellow eyes flashing. They were quite intimidating, those glowing eyes. Qui-Gon had never seen a human with a color like that. The man looked somewhat like a viper, with a narrow face and...*those eyes.* He had shoulder length silver hair, but didn't look any less fit for someone of his apparent age. 

"Well, well. Councilor Conn!"A deep voice echoed down the hall as a round man who looked about middle-aged came into view. He had a twisted, mangled face as if he had lost a fight with a vibro-cutter, and a grizzled mane of fuzzy black hair that was pulled back away from his face. Immediately Conn dropped into a deep bow, murmuring something that sounded like "m' lord" Qui-Gon moaned. This was classic.

"We found this...*boy* right where you said he would be coming. Our men easily surrounded him, then he was overwhelmed. And take a look at this..." Conn tossed a slim metal cylinder to Thorno. "Jedi"

Lord Draven Thorno eyed the gangly teen curiously. Of course, he knew already that this boy was a Jedi, just as he had known the exact time when he would be crossing the bridge into Muh-Hadden territory. A man named Tyrannus had commed him with the information. He had wanted Thorno to capture the Jedi. The Muh-Hadden leader cocked his head to the side. All the man had said was that he would pay well any one of his number to capture the boy, and then given them the coordinates, and a tip. He had informed Thorno that this particular Jedi could be easily taken alive if they used electro-jabbers on him. And it had proven true! 

But now that Thorno had this infamous Jedi kid, what to do with him? Tyrannus had left no instructions on what to do with him, nothing except to comm him back after they had captured him. Highly unusual, Thorno thought, whoever this Tyrannus was, but then again what was his business thinking? He wasn't paid to think. But Tyrannus had certainly taken great pains to set up this capture, obviously he wanted whoever this Jedi was, dead. That he could do! Thorno smiled, and turned to his top advisor, Conn. "Mmm, this would be the Jedi ambassador those Philomel fools sent for the moment we moved camp closer to their border. Paranoid idiots" He snorted and then stepped toward Qui-Gon. "You're a foolish little brat Jedi. You came a long ways for nothing." Thorno addressed Conn coolly. "He came from the Philomel. Eh, he might still be useful. Take the kid to your jungle prison. Get the names of the people who sent for him, they need to be disposed of. Use any means necessary, I want those names." Meanwhile, Conn looked down at Qui-Gon. His lips twitched. 

Qui-Gon tried to swallow the ever-growing lump in his throat. He now desperately wished he hadn't picked a fight with this Conn. That was all he needed, a pychopath with a grudge. Some first-solo mission this was turning out to be!

~*~

Tahl awoke with a start. Her brilliant green and gold striped eyes widened, straining to see in the darkened room. As her eyes adjusted, she anxiously glanced about. Her clothes were folded neatly by her desk, the book she had been reading the night before lay face down on her nightstand untouched, nothing was out of place. With a quick touch of the force she knew she was alone. The threat had been imaginary. 

She sat up groggily, concentrating on the dream which had frightened her. But it seemed as illusive as trying to catch a cloud, every time she attempted to summon up the images they fell away. Tahl could only remember a feeling...almost as soft as a whisper. A warning, a premonition, something...but it wasn't meant for her, it seemed. She could remember someone else, someone else there that was in danger. *But where is 'there?' And who is in danger?* She shook her head to clear it. Perhaps the dream meant nothing. 

Yawning, the young Jedi crossed the room and pulled back the heavy curtain across her window. The sun was beginning to rise over the Temple; a warm golden glow penetrated her dark room. Soon the initiates would be making their way to the gardens for meditation. *I should probably join them* she thought idly. *Then afterwards I'll do some sparring. Wonder if Qui-Gon's back from that mission yet..* She gave a start. *Qui-Gon!* a strange feeling engulfed her... a sort of de javu. Swallowing hard, she tried to fight the feeling and prepare for the day ahead. It was probably nothing. And maybe later she'd comm Qui-Gon and see if he was...see how his mission was going. *It was only a silly dream, get a hold on yourself Tahl.* she chided herself. *Just a silly dream...*


	2. It Begins

Something wasn't right. The passing of days only compounded Tahl's fears. Perhaps that was it, the fear that drove her to Master Dooku's quarters. 

She went to press the chime, but the moment her hand stretched forth, the door glided open. Startled, she stared into the quarters, unsure what to do. Then, mustering her courage, she stepped inside. She and Qui-Gon had been friends since they were eight. She shouldn't be afraid to talk to his master! Tahl stared around, puzzled. Dooku wasn't in the main entrance. But she could hear his elegant voice coming from out on the balcony. Ah, he was receiving a transmission. She settled herself down on the hard couch in the living area, to wait. 

~*~

__

Something is about to give,

I can feel it coming,

I think I know what it is

I'm not afraid to die,

I'm not afraid to live,

And when I'm flat on my back,

I hope to feel like I did

~*~

The forest was dark. The tree's that lined the path stood silent and angry, as if offended by the cleared road that divided the once untamable life. On either side they were the kings of their realm, but the middle was barren and smooth, hacked clean of life. Qui-Gon watched the tree's whiz by from the back of a speeder. The Living Force was disturbed here. The life around him tasted bitter, fouled by something he could not quite place. Dust clogged the air around him. The path broadened and opened out to a small clearing in the forest. 

It was in that next moment when he saw it. Though he didn't know it now, it would be this site that would burn into his nightmares forever. A place where he would see the true cruelty of other beings. A place which would scar him....

But for now, it was only a large, ugly stone building filled with fools that underestimated him. His hair stirred in the breeze and his eyes sparked with defiance. So this was their mysterious prison? He smiled grimly. *No, thank you.* 

With a quick glance at the guard next to him, he gathered the force. He only needed a few second; he could easily escape into the woods. Recklessly throwing himself off of the speeder, he dropped to the path. His hands were bound, which threw his jump off, but he managed to spin around and land on his back anyway. The landing drove his breath from him and he lay there gasping like a landed fish a moment, in a daze. He heard shouting and snapped to, turning over on his side and rolling off the path into the ditch. Finally getting to his feet Qui-Gon hurled himself toward the forest.

Faster than he could blink, a squad of guards were on him. He sprinted toward the tree line but his foot caught in a hole. Without his arms to balance the boy fell hard. Instantly the guards were on him, kicking and punching him into submission. He fought back but was hopelessly outnumbered and without his hands he could do little to fight them. He went down in a screaming, brawling mass of soldiers. 

"Enough, let him be." spoke a cold drawling voice. The guards parted to reveal the young Jedi, who was curled up into a protective ball on the ground. His nose and lip were bleeding and he was covered with bruises and dirt but he still managed to glare at Conn. "Little whelp." the Muh-hadden regarded Qui-Gon with disgust. He turned to the guards. "Get him inside, take him down to the cells.."

"The cells?" A man a few years older than Qui-Gon stepped forward. His pale blue eyes gleamed. "Are you sure, I mean, you do know what's down there..." 

"I don't recall asking your opinion, soldier. I said take him down to the cell." Conn gestured at the man, his yellow eyes narrowing. "Besides, a few days down there with it, maybe he'll be more willing to talk." 

Qui-Gon shuddered as he was lead away. This one he couldn't manage on his own. The call went out into the force as the young Jedi was pushed inside, into the darkness.

*Master!*

~*~

"We have followed your orders, sir." The voice on the other end was full of pride.

Dooku glared at the comlink in faint annoyance, dislike for the other party coloring his tone as he spoke. "You have the boy then?" he asked, feeling a nagging prick of nerves. 

He hated this. Hated dealing with these fools, hated betraying Qui-Gon like this. No, not betrayal, he corrected. Testing. The boy was coming of age. In a short while, he would be out on his own, a full Knight. But he needed to learn first. And there were some things Dooku couldn't teach. So, ingeniously, the master had concocted up a plan, a test. He would hire a mercenary group to capture the boy, but not harm him, sever the mental link they shared, and let Qui-Gon use his own abilities to escape. Of course, the odds were weighed in the boys' favor, nothing could go wrong. If Qui-Gon could not escape on his own, he would come and fetch him. Nothing wrong. Just a test, to see how far he was on the path to Knighthood. Then why did he sense something was wrong?

"We have him. The boy's dead, just like you told us. Now please, we'd like to discuss the matter of our-" 

Dooku felt color and warmth drain out of him, as if his blood had turned to ice. He couldn't breathe, like inside of him were frozen. He stood absolutely still, not daring to move. He must have misheard the man. He *must* have! "What?" His voice was weak. "You..."

"Yeah, we killed him. The Jedi boy? Dead. Just as you said!"

Dooku felt rage mingled with the grief and disbelief, creeping into his head like poison. Each beat of his heart felt like "Dead. Dead. Dead" an echo he could not escape. And the finger pointed at him. He wanted to scream, rant, throw the comlink against the wall and call the man a liar. "I...did not....say to kill him...you *fool!*" Dooku choked out, hate and raw, aching sorrow consuming him. 

All the light, the cheer, the talent that was Qui-Gon was gone, leaving a black, soul-cracking void. Never again would he feel the warm purity of his padawans connection to the force, a glowing light at his side. Gone. All gone. 

No words came to his mind. Nothing. A wide gap that would never, never again be filled. Dooku was vaguely aware of the comlink falling to the ground. He turned, staggering to the door, and pushed it open. He met the vibrant eyes of a young girl, standing in the threshold, mingled surprise and sorrow on her face. 

"Master Dooku?" Tahl began, her green-gold eyes filling with tears. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, honestly, she hadn't. But the before the words of excuse found her lips, she found herself facing an enraged Dooku. A soft cry escaped her lips, and her eyes went wide with terror.

"What did you hear!?!" Dooku bellowed at her, unmistakable fury on his face. His fingers tightened into fists, and his ebony eyes were glinting with mad grief. He wanted to kill her in that instant, crush her throat for the intrusion. She knew...knew he was a killer. He advanced on her, moving closer and closer until he was inches away.

Tears ran down her cheeks and she gasped out the words between sobs. "Where...is...is he...?"

"Gone." Dooku whispered, looking haunted. "Was a...mistake..." he stared at her, desperately, as if trying to convince her. "Didn't mean..." He turned away from Tahl, finally. "My fault..."

"Qui-Gon? No." she whispered, violent denial burning within her. Dooku's rage, the questions surrounding it all, *everything* felt meaningless beside this empty sorrow. She felt as if she were in a dream. A nightmare. 

Dooku turned to regard her, eyes, soft, and broken, his anger melting away into agony. "I must contact the Council. Go home. Please...if you would... not speak of this to anyone..." Guilt laced his elegant silky tones. 

Heart-broken, she faced Dooku. Strength came suddenly and she heard herself speaking, boldly. "Can I go with you...to bring him home? Please?" her voice ended in a soft whimper. She had to *know*... 

"I am not going to Childor."

"You're going to leave him there?!" she burst out, cheeks flushing red, eyes glimmering.

"He's dead. I don't want to see. You will go home. I'm going to the Council." he said, his eyes cold with quiet anger.

"You'd leave him."

"I believe I told you to go home, Learner." His voice was a dangerous growl.

Tahl spun on her heel, tears streaming down her cheeks.

~*~

There was no light in the cell, but Qui-Gon could see the white glow of his captors' faces from the small glowrod one of them held. They seemed rather uneasy down here and he was pretty sure it had something to do with the creature they kept mentioning. He was grateful; perhaps they would leave quickly if they thought it might come. But Conn was here, and he was not a mindless guard, frightened off by a ghostly specter. His hopes dimmed. 

"I grow tired of this game, little Jedi." The familiar voice echoes in the cell.

*Not this time.* Qui-Gon tensed as a guard fumbled with his shackles, then used the moment of distraction to kick out. He sprung at Conn, seeking his foe in the darkness blindly, kicking and punching the Muh-Hadden that closed in around him. At a yell from Conn five more rushed in from outside the cell. But Qui-Gon did not feel the weight of the numbers on him. There was nothing but the white light of the force filling him, empowering him. He stretched out with his mind, reaching for a dropped blaster with one hand and landing a punch with the other. The blaster flew into his hand but before he could get off a shot the sheer mass of the guards in the tiny cell smothered him. They used the sheer weight of their bodies to pin him, while Conn secured his binds again. 

The Muh-Hadden was out of breath, his hair plastered to his face with sweat, as he turned his enraged stare to the boy. "That was a foolish, foolish move." He waved some of his men out, and began to circle the bound Jedi, who was being held upright by a guard. "Very, very foolish." he murmured, catching his breath. 

Suddenly there was an electro-jabber in his hand. Qui-Gon now regretted his few moments of freedom, knowing it would be much worse for him now. Conn moved forward savagely, pressing the pole against the Jedi's bare side. 

Qui-Gon winced as it burned across his skin, but the torment did not cease with one jab. Conn held it there for a few moments, allowing the pain to build to an unbearable crescendo. Sweat rolled down the padawans face as he fought the agony running up and down his side. He gasped, finding it hard to catch his breath suddenly. But Conn did not budge. He kept it against the boy until he forced out a cry of pain and then pulled it back teasingly. 

Then again. Conn smiled. 


	3. Captive to Darkness

When they finally let him be, Qui-Gon dropped to the ground weakly. All he could feel was the intense burning torture in his sides. It was cruel, more so then the pain, that the dark bliss of unconsciousness should not fall on him with it's sweet relief. A cheap, unfair irony. 

Qui-Gon guessed he was on his back. It was hard to tell much of anything in his current state, but he vaguely remembered falling into this position. Conn hadn't stopped until the boy was half-dead. The damage to him outside wasn't particularly bad, but the sensation was wreaking havoc on his nervous system. He felt like he couldn't quite catch his breath, his skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. *Concentrate.* a soft, silky tone whispered in his mind. 

"Master..." Qui-Gon exhaled the word, a breath of relief, more soothing to the boy's many hurts than any medical comfort could bring. *Rely on the force, not yourself. Alone you are nothing. It is your ally. Feel _it, _not the pain. You'll be fine.* This was not truly Yan Dooku, he knew; he hadn't felt his Master's mental touch in days, but nevertheless, the lesson gave him solace. Feel the force. "Yes..." he reached up into it's never-flagging reserve of power, and his focus sharpened. He felt it. Pure and blinding and mighty, the light consumed the darkness creeping into him.

It didn't hurt as much now. He realized the cold stone floor was becoming just as painful against his side as the electro jabber. With a moan, he rolled onto his stomach and started to rise. The movement was abruptly cut off by a heavy boot stepping down on his shoulder. A thousand expletives raced through his head. _Conn!_

He lay quite still, hoping that the Muh-Hadden would just leave. He didn't need added injury now.

"See, Jedi can be subdued." Conn's voice echoed in the tiny cell. Qui-Gon felt anger seep into him. The boot increased pressure. "Just like you and I, friends. He gestured at the guards. "Powers, or no powers, they are no different. This one has already submitted. We shall find extracting information from him simple. Once broken, easily dealt with." 

Qui-Gon felt his face burn. He concentrated on the pressure from the boot to distract him. It was beginning to hurt. He focused on the pain...

"The spirit isn't as strong as some would think. Easy to snap, if you're rough enough." the boot nudged him. "Remember the little spitfire we brought in here? A boy afraid of the dark."

In the flash, Conn went flying across the room, propelled by a powerful force-burst. He barely had time to cry out before slamming into the wall with a heavy thud. The room shook slightly with the impact. The Muh-Hadden slid down to land in a crumpled heap on the dirty floor.

The gazes of the guards were not on their fallen leader, but on the prisoner, who was sitting up and glaring at Conn. His blue eyes blazed. The moment passed and the company split, half going to restrain Qui-Gon, and half to see if Conn was alive.

They needn't have bothered. With a bellow, Conn picked himself up. Qui-Gon's eyes widened. He had been so sure he'd killed him. The man staggered crazily over to where the boy was restrained. Blood trickled from his lip, and his yellowish eyes were livid. The Jedi found himself truly afraid.

"You've damned yourself, boy." Conn whispered, his voice strangely calm. He seized the electro-jabber and leveled it at Qui-Gon's shoulder. The boy didn't doubt it one bit. 

The first few blows he could handle, but after ten minutes the padawan's torso was black and blue and he knew he could take no more. Conn was taking out his wrath by indiscriminately beating the helpless Jedi with the blunt end of the pole. He wanted very badly to cry, but held his dignity and silence, even as bruise was piled on bruise. He fell to his knees as the weapon slammed down on his shoulders. 

Quickly, the Muh-Hadden whirled the electro-jabber and stabbed the sharp end into the boys shoulder, a little below where the last blow had fallen. The pain made his vision blur as the combined shock and cut from the device sliced into his skin. Darkness licked the edges off his mind, and he felt himself fall forward. 

"A little taste of what's to come, whelp. I'll leave you to think it over."

Qui-Gon was in far too much pain to register the words. He felt the vibrations as the Muh-Hadden slammed the door, and the whirr and click of the lock activating. 

As the door shut, the light was consumed. He pleaded silently for unconsciousness, so that he wouldn't have to feel this, but no quiet numb came. Tears pricked his eyes, and the miserable agony he had been holding back in Conn's presence hit full force. Rolling himself into a ball he began to cry silently, too weak to do anything else. He was so cold. 

He was depleting his strength by this childish display. Qui-Gon knew that. No food, no water, he couldn't afford tears. The padawan tried to stop, but the hurt was too big for him, and he suddenly realized he was very small. So he resigned himself to laying on the cold stone, quietly weeping while the darkness held him tightly. 

*

Tahl didn't stop to think. Even if she had hesitated, it was doubtful that coherent thought could pierce the tight wall of delirious grief that controlled her. She reacted, rather than considering a plan. The girl only was sure of one thing, and that was that she had to know. If there was any way...*any* way he could be alive... And there had to be, simply because Qui-Gon *couldn't* be dead. She was going to Childor. Tahl needed the facts.

But sneaking out of the Temple, borrowing a shuttle and getting it half-way across the galaxy was no easy feat, even for a girl as resourceful as Tahl. She didn't want her Master involved, that would lead to too may questions and delay's. But she needed a starship, quickly, with no pesky questions from the Council. So, naturally, she asked Clee Rhara.

Clee was Tahl's age, a fellow Jedi and friend, who worked on the Jedi's limited starship program. Even only as a padawan, she was an excellent pilot, and could get you a ship in a flash if it were needed. Tahl finally cornered her working on one of the speeders in the Temple hanger.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" The red-headed Jedi wiped at her eyes with an oil-smeared hand, trying to hide her tears. "Force! Qui-Gon?" she shook her head. "No. There's no way I'm helping you with this suicidal thing. Now it's Qui, then it'll be you, I know! Tahl-just stay here! Please!" there was desperation in her tone. 

"Clee-I have to go! What if-what if there's a chance that he's a...a...." her voice cracked and the tears she'd held back spilled onto her cheeks. "Alive?" 

"Qui-Gon's smart, Tahl. If he's alive in there, you can bet he'll show up in a few days at his own funeral and scare us all out of our minds." she seized her friends shoulders. "Please don't go. You could be killed...What good would that do to Qui-Gon, if you're dead?!"

Tahl's expression hardened and she shrugged off Clee's arm. "He's alone. He shouldn't die alone. Now, If you won't give me your support, I'm going to find someone who will..." She began to walk away.

"Tahl-" Clee began. Her friend half-turned. There was silence a moment. "-if you won't listen to reason, at least I can make sure you get a good ship. Come on, I think we have something here..."


	4. Shadows of Light

It'd been days since Conn had been in the cell. Qui-Gon had no sun to measure by of course, but he figured time was passing as he got progressively thirstier. He was hungry too, and sore, but that didn't matter as much. He'd never felt this thirsty before, it was if his mouth was filled with fabric and his eyes stinging with sand. He was beginning to feel desperate. Qui-Gon knew he could not survive long without water.

He felt weak too. Much too weak. He lay motionless as usual on the floor, thinking. 

__

Swish!

Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open in horror. He was not alone! He scanned the room but it was all pitch black, he could not distinguish shape from shadow. His breath caught as he felt someone...*something* next to him. The young Jedi kept perfectly still; he was chained down and helpless against whatever it was. The creature climbed over him so it was practically sitting on his chest. Qui-Gon wanted to scream. He could barely make out a shape an two luminous orb-like eyes fixed upon him. He had the feeling that the darkness was as clear as the light to it. 

Slowly, horribly, the creature lowered it's head to his wounded shoulder. Qui-Gon tried to keep still so it wouldn't attack him. But as it began to lick the blood; it's tongue flicking over the cut in apparent relish, Qui-Gon couldn't help but moan in pain. Immediately the thing tightened it's hold around him, it's legs wrapping his torso and claws entering his back as it grasped him. 

"So sweet, so warm, don't struggle." a strange, yet clearly feminine voice hissed from above. "Mm..." she finished licking the blood and began to nibble on his shoulder. Qui-Gon cried out in horror and pain, trying to twist away. 

"Please! Leave me alone!" he gasped, for all the good it would do. 

The creature paused. "Why?"

"You're hurting me." Qui-Gon whispered.

The eyes drew close to Qui-Gon's face."You are weak, man-child. Why is your body so tired? Why are you tied here, if not for food?" 

Qui-Gon let out a breath. It seemed she was more curious than hungry. He supposed that was a good sign. "The other men did this to me." he said softly. "I am from far away. This is not my home." Very vaguely he could make out her face, her slitted eyes, her thin lips. 

"I know. The Hadden. I hear a great many thing." 

Qui-Gon continued to stare. "What are you?"

A low, soft laugh filled the room. "You are blind by the darkness, man-child. Stretch out your hand and see." She leaned closer to him, taking his hand and pressing it against her breast. 

Qui-Gon moved his hand upwards, across her neck and to her face. His fingers explored her lips, nose and eyes, finally resting in her hair. 

She clearly enjoyed his touch, tilting her head into his hands. "You are...so warm." she placed a hand over his. 

Five fingers. Just like he had. Except hers were thin, with sharp claws and, like every other part of her, as cold as death. 

"You're not so different from me." he breathed. "But you're like ice. Are you..." he swallowed nervously. "Dead?"

"Touch me and see. Your fingers know nothing. Touch me with your mind." she purred, leaning into his hand.

Qui-Gon was weakened by his imprisonment, but he knew that the force would always be strong in him. Gingerly he stretched out toward the creature with his mind, feeling, as she had told him. Their minds touched and he drew away with a start. 

"You-you...! You're shadow!" he gasped, astonished at her strange signature. He heard another laugh. 

"Shadow?" her clawed fingers caressed his cheek and he shuddered with the chill of her touch. She hissed delightedly. "Shadow. Yes, that is what I am." 

"How did you come to be in this awful place?"' Qui-Gon whispered, shivering and rubbing his bare arms for warmth. He strained his eyes into the black to try and catch another glimpse of his companion. This creature frightened him somewhat, but she was company to the lonely boy and he welcomed the soft alien voice after days of empty silence. 

She shifted her weight. "Shadow came here long ago, and has been here forever. Who knows when she came, or who she was? Now she is what man-child calls her, Shadow. The Hadden fear Shadow." he sensed that she was grinning. "And for a reason."

Qui-Gon felt a shudder run through him that had nothing to do with the cold. "I see."

"They are bad." Shadow growled, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Sometime, I kill them all." she licked her lips. "But not now." Turning back to Qui-Gon, she placed a hand on his brow. "You are dying, man-child." she murmured, as if stating a fact of life. 

Qui-Gon coughed weakly. He was unsure how to answer and his throat was beginning to hurt in earnest. "I suppose so."

Shadow brushed his cracked lips with a fingertip. "I shall return." A moment later she was off of him, and he heard the scrape of metal. She had hauled herself up into the grate and slid out of sight. 

A few seconds passed. Qui-Gon waited in the darkness, holding his breath, hardly daring to breathe. He couldn't believe this. She was...on his side? 

In the time it took his fevered head to form this confused thought, the grate scraped again. He strained his eyes to see the lithe creature fall to the floor, soundless and smooth as a drop of spilled black ink.

She crouched next to him, offering a sort of crude cup to his lips. "Drink." she whispered

He sipped the water thankfully. It was stale-tasting and full of grit, but life-sustaining, and he drank deeply, knowing it would give him a fighting chance at surviving this. 

"Good." she smiled at him, revealing again her tiny white teeth. "Drink it, it will help."

"Thank you." he breathed.

Shadow dipped her head at him. "You are kind to Shadow, and warm. I will look out for you." 

He felt her adjust his restraints and they slackened, impossibly. Then she relaxed next to him, stretched out like a large, mysterious black cat. Her eyes glowed vibrant yellow at him, as she regarded this strange young intruder into her domain. Deep down, she was glad for his company. They were both prisoners, but in different ways.

*

Tahl sighed and stared at the navicomputer. She had just entered vast empty space, and now it was nothing but her and her demons, alone on the impossibly small ship. Five days until she would reach Childor. Five days...She wanted to slam her body against the computer and *make* it go faster. The ship was just too tiny to get her anywhere in a hurry. But it was her only option. 

So Tahl watched the stars. It would be a long trip.

In the long hours of imprisonment, Qui-Gon knew he was getting sicker, not better. At first, he'd been painfully hungry, but now, all he felt was emptiness. It was if the constant darkness was draining him out, changing him into something he was most definitely not. Shadow came and went, bringing him enough water to either keep him alive, or prolong his torture, he hadn't decided which yet. 

Sitting huddled in a corner gave him a good view of the room, and the walls protected him somewhat. Of course, there was really no place to hide, the guards could come and go as they pleased. Even still, it was a comfort to have the wall at his back. Conn didn't come very often, which suited Qui-Gon just fine, for whenever the Muh-Hadden leader appeared, bad things tended to happen. Naturally, when the door of the cell opened, a wave of dread swept over him. 

Conn was in a disturbingly good mood as he swept into the room. Qui-Gn groaned as he was hauled to his feet by a few guards. This was getting repetitive. He wondered how long this would keep up. 

Conn stopped in front of him and waved something in his face. "Do you know what this is?" he hissed, something like glee in his tone. 

Qui-Gon stared blankly at the stone floor. He was certain he's be seeing a closeup of it soon. Out of the corner of his vision a bit of white, shimmering thread dangled. He tried to ignore it. Whatever this new thing was, Qui-Gon didn't particularly care, and he was guessing it hurt. 

"This may help with that attitude of yours, Little Jedi. And now you will have a new definition of pain." 

He'd sort of figured that. 

"This..." Conn breathed, holding out the seemingly delicate line. "...is the silk of a very rare spider that lives on your own Coruscant. Do you know what's special about this spider's web?" 

Qui-Gon's eyes grew large. No. Not alone.

"It blocks the effects of the Force. Marvelous little creatures." he stroked the silk, then motioned at the guards. "Would you be as rebellious without your precious Force? I wonder." 

Qui-Gon fought for all he was worth as the Muh-Hadden bound his wrists with the sticky thread, but as sick as he was, he was not worth much. Before long, he found himself strung up, hanging from his wrists, and completely, totally empty. The darkness was mind-numbing. It was as if someone had turned off the light in his head, or filled him with a toxic gas. He couldn't *breathe.*

"Maybe in a few more days, without your healing 'force' you'll be more cooperative." Again, the door slammed.

It was as if Qui-Gon's world had shrunk, as if his range of vision had gotten constricting small. The Erie emptiness terrified him, and dulled his senses. It was slowly stifling the life from him, he was sure. 

There was a soft thud from the center of the cell. His heart nearly stopped. "Shadow?" he whispered into the blackness, his voice almost pleading. He felt blind. 

"Why can't you see me?" came a soft inquiry from somewhere in the void. It sounded distant. 

"Because it's really dark..."

"No..." came the hiss. Qui-Gon had the chilling feeling that she was circling him. "Why can't you *see* me, like before? You feel like the Hadden." her voice was colored by something like betrayal. 

Qui-Gon swallowed. How was he going to explain this? "It's...the force, I can't use it, not with the web..."

There was no reply. Qui-Gon tilted his head, but nothing except emptiness met his eyes. The room was still. 

Then, a cold hand pressed against his chest. "Next time...they will not stop." The words were like freezing water poured inside him. "Next time...you won't get up. You are a little boy, not a Knight like your people. But I don't understand." she paused. "Why do you not use your own shadow..." the claws were like a whisper against his skin, her voice, a soft growl. "The shadow inside? I can see it. It's powerful..."

Qui-Gon took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm a Jedi... I..." the words felt hollow inside him. A Jedi, hmm? If he was really a Jedi, than why was he here, in this cell, without hope? Why didn't he let the darkness flow?

He saw her eyes glow out from the black. "I don't chase shadows. The light is stronger."

"Then you will die."

~*~

The short, furry creature eyed Tahl warily. It hadn't been long ago that the Jedi boy had stood before her; his naive words about justice still rang in her ears. But Seesa knew better than to think about such ideals as peace and independence. Those themes had been all but forgotten since the Muh-Hadden came to Childor. Her people lived in fear now, for those who stood against the organization disappeared. Like the Jedi had.

Seesa was one of the few Philomel who spoke Basic well. Now as she stared at the expectant, green eyes of the little human girl, and wished with all her soul that she didn't. "I know where the one you came here seeking is." she whispered, her voice a rough hum.

Tahl paused, uncertain how to respond. She could sense great pain in the Philomel woman, as if thinking about it caused her anguish. "Yes?"

"He's been taken into the Elli Muet. The Hadden have a prison there. Your search is in vain. You will not find him." She turned away. "I have lost brothers in that place. I know." The Philomel turned her face toward Tahl and the girl gasped as she saw the long white scar across her smooth furry cheek.

The Jedi girl took a tiny step backwards, faltering. "I...have to, Seesa." 

She closed her amber eyes. "The young Jedi does not understand..."

Suddenly Tahl was angry. She was so tired of beings telling her she was wrong, that there was no hope, that her quest was in vain. "No, *you* don't understand!" she snapped. " I need to find him...and I'll do it with, or without you."

"We have seen the end of one Jedi, why must we see the end of another?"

"Are you going to tell me where the prison is or not?" she asked impatiently. 

Seesa sighed. "You run to death."


	5. Broken Wings

AUTHORS NOTE: This one particular chapter is the most violent in the fic. I might give it a little stronger rating. The rest of the fic after this part is G though, so if you are particularly disturbed by it, I'd skip this chapter and go on. 

He could feel the evil energy in the air, the sense that he was about to be made a cruel example of Conn's lack of mercy. He could feel it, the brutal lust for blood was like a current running through the men. He decided to keep his eyes shut. 

A moan touched his lips as he felt a sticky fabric wrap over his wrist. It was familiar, in a haunting way. The web twisted around his hands and immediately darkness covered him. The effect of the force-spiders webbing was immediate and terrifying. No force for this round. He swallowed. 

"Well little Jedi." A voice cold as ice hissed close to him. "It comes to this. I'm tried of playing. It's time to be serious." 

Qui-Gon thrashed away from the voice but he was bound to tightly to get anywhere. His hands and legs were tied. There was no where to run. No where to hide. Conn flicked out a power lash, a weapon seldom seen in the Republic. A shudder past through him. He had a pretty good idea what was coming. 

The lash whistled downward and snapped across the jedi's bare back and shoulders. The sharp pain made him twitch but he kept his eyes tightly shut. It hurt, but Qui-Gon was confident that he could take this. 

Conn began on him, beating him thoroughly with the lash. He was an expert in the matter of pain, moving in a quick rhythm of strokes that brought tears to the young padawan's eyes. Cruel pleasure flashed in the evil man's eyes. But his victim was quiet as the beating progressed taking it like a Jedi, silent every time the whip smacked across his skin. Suddenly Conn ceased, whirling around.

"Tell me the names of those who sent you." 

Qui-Gon just shook his head. "No." His voice was proud, as if he was asking by his tone "is this all you've got?" Dooku had taught him well. He was strong.

Conn seemed almost perplexed a moment. Then he gritted his teeth and cracked the power lash again. He sent it flying against the boy's back and it whirled into the jedi. Qui-Gon couldn't help but lose his breath as his back burned worse than fire. He hadn't taken but one ragged gasp when Conn hit him agin, this time in the shoulders. The lash striped down his back making him exhale sharply at the intense pain. 

The Jedi groaned and rested his cheek against the wood of the pole straining desperately away from his tormentor. There was no place to run to. He had no choice but to take it. Conn continued on without any sign of relent. 

*Master-where are you?* Qui-Gon desperately reached for Dooku but found their bond severed, as before, his call going unanswered out into the darkness. *please!* he thought silently, becoming desperate. His breathing hitched a particularly hard blow drew blood. He was scared. The pain was fast becoming too much for him to handle. He lost control of his breathing, his breaths coming in short uneven gasps. He could feel a darkness growing within him…an anger. 

Conn stopped again and Qui-Gon could hear him talking to a guard. A moment later he returned, cold pleasure in his voice. The words stuck in the young Jedi's mind. "Tell me boy. Do Jedi children cry?" At the same moment, he seized his left hand and bent it backward, pinning it against the wooden pole. He felt the cold metal of a blade press against the soft flesh on the back of his hand. Qui-Gon trembled. *No...no...don't touch me please*

"I have a bet they do." A twisted smile spread over Conn's grim features. "Now. The names of the Philomel?" 

Qui-Gon just shook his head and steeled himself. 

***

Tahl's eyes widened as she felt a massive disturbance in the Force. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Her face pale, she quickened her step.

***

Qui-Gon didn't bother to stifle his cry as the knife impaled his hand. The agony was too much. His vision blurred and swam with tears and pain. His breaths became sobs. He couldn't control it any longer, it was too much for him. He was only a padawan, his mastery of the Force was no where near able to handle what he was going through. He felt his body give. He cried out and then went limp, letting the black void of unconsciousness claim him. 

"Sir-he's out cold!"

"Then bring him around, you fool!" Conn snapped at the unfortunate guard. He scarcely took his eyes off the comatose boy, his prey. The other man left and then returned a moment later with a hypo needle. He pressed the hypo against the Jedi's neck, wincing slightly. 

"That'll keep him awake." The guard backhanded the Jedi. "Come on, up!"

The padawan opened his reddened eyes wearily as the drug coursed through his body. His vision was blurred with tears and delirium. Conn struck him again and he collapsed against the pole, crying helplessly.

The guard who had administered the drug, Li, turned his head, sickened. He had seen it many times before but never had it felt so wrong. This was a boy, surely Conn could see that! He gritted his teeth as he heard another lash fall. Why couldn't they let the stupid kid be? He wasn't sure how long it went on. But the Jedi, despite the hell he was being tormented with, didn't say a word about the Philomel. He had to admire that. 

Frustrated, Conn sliced the bond that tied him to the pole. Unable to support his weight, the padawan slide to the floor with an agonized moan. The drug weakened his carefully guarded reserve of strength, and his training suddenly felt like nothing, It didn't matter that he was a Jedi he bled and cried like a normal boy. A sort of shame added to the whirlwind of torment in his mind. But he hurt too bad to dwell on anything. He could not focus, not with the stuff cycling through his system now. Conn advanced on him, kicking him hard in the ribs and doubling him over. With a sinister grin Muh-Hadden approached his quivering prey.

Agony was redefined for the young jedi. Wave after wave of white hot pain rolled over his senses; his nerves screamed in protest. This was it. Conn intended to kill him, now, and in the most painful way possible. He could do nothing, the force wouldn't help him, his Master had deserted him and he had been forgotten by the Order he served. There was nothing left but darkness. He curled into a ball, his body and mind giving out. 

Li could take no more of this. He stepped forward, his ice blue eyes meeting Conn's.

"This is a pitiful waste of our time Conn." Li tried to keep the tremble of anger out of his voice, but could not mask the unabashed hatred in his glare. "Wow, very powerful, you can beat up a baby Jedi-I'm impressed!" He gave a short laugh and turned away toward the exit. 

*That* got the man's attention. Qui-Gon forgotten, Conn whirled at Li. "Get back here!" He hissed, pointing a bony finger at Li. The young soldier ignored him. "Guards!" he shrieked at two of the Muh-hadden who'd been watching. "Seize the traitor!" Conn saw hesitance in their eyes. They were friends with the troublemaker. This was not a good situation. 

"No-leave him." a sinister smile lit over the evil mans face. "But know that if you choose to disobey, I'll see to it that Lord Thorno deals with you. *personally.*"

That got the imp's attention! Conn nearly chuckled at his own brilliance. He watched as Li turned, rage in his blue eyes. "If you believe the names of the Philomel spies are unimportant then perhaps *you* should lead this campaign. When Thorno asks about the information, you can tell him about how it's a waste of our time. And since your such chums with this..." he glanced down at Qui-Gon's pitiful figure, amusement on his cruel face. "...*Jedi* you can escort him back to his cell. Ta!" he tossed the key at Li, and it landed at his feet with a clang. 

Li glared angrily at Conn's retreating form, his eyes burning hatred across the room. He watched as the advisor snapped something at one of the guards and then stalked out of the chamber. Li sighed and turned away as the rest of the guards filed out. Then he regarded the boy on the floor dispassionately. "Come on, on your feet." he muttered, not really expecting an answer. 

"...moment..." the soft shaking word drifted up to him. Li stared at the quivering Jedi startled. He had thought Qui-Gon unconscious what with his obvious extensive injuries. He cocked his head to the side as the boy moaned in pain and struggled to sit up. He was too weak. With a whimper he ceased his movements. Li crouched next to him, watching him closely. He had never encountered a Jedi before, only heard the tales. Perhaps the legendary powers these creatures were rumored to posses were true. Perhaps they truly could not be killed. He shuddered, in spite of himself.

Qui-Gon tried again, wincing. His back and hand were torment with every tiny move, and he felt light-headed and dizzy with blood loss. His head buzzed with the drug. More than anything he wanted to lie down and sleep, yes, sleep until the pain stopped. It hurt more than it should be able to, Qui-Gon thought hazily. Still, he would present strong front. *Never show your enemies that you have been hurt. Don't show any weakness, or they'll use it against you.* Dooku's sharp voice echoed in his spinning head. "Yes...M-master" he whispered, more to comfort himself at the familiar words than out of habit. 

Li nudged him with the blaster, unconsciously sending sparks of white-hot agony down the boys side. "What was that?" he asked sharply. Qui-Gon just groaned, trembling unsteadily. Li let it go, the boy was about to collapse. He gave him a moment.

The young jedi lay on the floor a moment, trying in vain to catch his breath and concentrating on not throwing up. He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes, only to realize his hand was covered in blood. He felt his stomach turn over at the sight of it. Coughing weakly, he pushed himself up. "Give me your hand." Li ordered, drawing a pair of binders out of his belt.

Qui-Gon pulled away, clutching his bleeding hand against his chest protectively. Sheer terror lit his gray eyes, surely this man was joking! 

Li felt sympathy pull at his conscience. Jedi or not, this was only a scared boy. His tone was softer when he spoke again. "Look, the *other* hand!" He snapped one side of the binders to his own wrist, and held up the other side. "I'm only going to restrain one hand, but if you try 

anything..."he continued darkly. 

Qui-Gon would have laughed if he hadn't been in so much pain. *try anything? I feel too weak to even cry!* But he was grateful that this man didn't seem quite as cruel as his superiors. Li hauled him up to his feet. He allowed himself to be lead off, stumbling into the never-ending darkness of the corridors.

The hallway was dark and hot as ever, the air sticky and wet, hard to breathe. A few weak lights mounted on the stone walls sputtered, illuminating the dank narrow passage. The cells were down lower near the heart of the prison and the hall sloped distinctively down. It was silent as they traveled slowly downward, save for Qui-Gon's ragged breathing. 

Li moved as quickly as possible, he hated it down here in the cells. They was deep underground, away from the fresh air and sunlight that Li craved. His spine prickled at the thought of the creature that was rumored to live down here. He couldn't imagine the torment of actually being held down here for any extended period of time, as the Jedi had been. He was already feeling claustrophobic and he hadn't even been down here but for more than a few moments! Shivering, he quickened his pace. Suddenly a quiet voice broke the silence.

"Thank you."

Li whirled about to face the Jedi. It had been nought but a whisper, but he caught the words. "What?!" he said incredulously. 

"Thank you." Qui-Gon repeated softly. "For stopping Conn. He would have killed me."he gave a little shudder at the notion of the horrible death he would have experienced. 

Li stared at him for a moment, caught completely off guard.. "Well...you..." he stuttered. This Jedi was so different the other prisoners he had seen. His gray-blue eyes held no anger toward him or even Conn, it seemed. "I didn't do it for you." he muttered, gruff voice back in play. He was a Muh-Hadden, not some Jedi sympathizer!

"Thank you."

Li's face reddened. He jerked the binders so that Qui-Gon stumbled forward, falling against the wall. The Jedi was too weak to support himself and slide downward, with an agonized cry as his raw bleeding skin scraped the stone wall. 

Li had been angry, but not really meant to hurt the boy. Another needle of guilt pricked his conscience. He dropped down next to him, touching his quivering shoulder gently. 

"Hey, kid, I'm sorry."he murmured softly. "I didn't mean for this to happen." His light blue eyes met Qui-Gon's gray ones. "I didn't sign up for this" A silence followed as both stared at each other. 

Li took his uninjured hand and hauled him to his feet. Qui-Gon seemed if possible, in worse shape than before and the guard didn't think he had much longer to suffer. Blood loss and shock had taken its toll. He wondered if he could even make it back to his cell. He sincerely hoped, for Qui-Gon's sake and his own consciences that the boy wouldn't. A sudden thought occurred to him. 

"Won't your Temple come looking for you?"

Qui-Gon gave him a bleak stare. There was no hope in his eyes. " ..thought they would have.. already come..." he whispered in a soft, sad voice. The words were empty, devoid of any emotion. It was as he had gone inside himself to a place deep where he could no longer feel the pain. He wanted to just let go. Let go of a broken body, and its broken soul. 


	6. Flight

Tahl knew she hadn't much time. Her heart wrenched into knots as she lay in the cargo hold of the speeder. It was the only way she could get to the prison. Seesa had told her that the supplies would be driven out to the jungle every morning and showed her where to hide if she needed to hijack one. It had been easy to leap onto the carrier and duck into the hold. But it seemed the journey was taking forever. And with each second that passed she felt the chances of finding Qui-Gon alive dwindle. On Coruscant, she had mourned for him. While perhaps a tiny bit of her held on to the idea that he might be alive, she accepted in her heart that he was gone. This mission would be a recovery trip, simply to take his body home. But once she had reached the planet she felt hope rekindle in her soul. Maybe, somehow, there had been a mistake. But now she felt her heart leaden once again in the sickening grief of loss. And how was she to even look for him? She had no plan, no Master to fall back on, only her training. 

Shifting her pack on one shoulder, she shut her eyes tightly. Tahl was scared. As much as she tried to stop them, hot tears trickled down her cheeks. She didn't think she could do this! 

*But you have to.* She told her self with steely resolve. She felt the transport lurch to a stop. *This is it. No turning back now.* There were voices outside and Tahl decided it best to move while they were distracted. She very softly opened the hold and crept around the large speeder, listening. 

"Here better get these supplies inside, storm's comin' over the mountains." a gruff voice; the driver.

"Yes, I see the clouds. Will you be alright getting back?" 

"Fine. 'S only a storm."

Tahl then felt it. It began as a prickle down her spine, until it worked up to a tremor across her whole body. A slight disturbance, the wind shifting slightly and strengthening. The sun had felt too warm earlier, but now the air blowing around her felt cold and the sun was gone. Dark clouds could be seen erupting over the tops of the tree's like towering gray giants. She felt the spicy charge of distant lightening. She would have to move quickly. 

The speeder droned off and Tahl pressed herself against the ground to avoid being seen. The lone guard was busy unloading boxes and did not notice as she crept forward. Obviously the Muh-Hadden were not concerned with security. They ruled by fear and intimidation.

*All the better for me.* Tahl thought with a grim smile. She got as close as she could and then sprung at him. The guard shrieked and pulled out a small blaster, firing rapidly at her as she tackled him. With one quick cleave of a saber, the blaster was gone, and she easily pinned the man who was screaming and yelling hysterically. She clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Silence and I won't hurt you, I promise." she whispered as he continued to whimper. "I just have a few questions." Tahl searched his eyes, looking for comprehension, but only found terror. "I'm looking for a boy, around my own age, probably dressed like me. I believe he is a prisoner being held here. Do you know if he's still..." her voice cracked, she couldn't finish the sentence. "...still...if he's here?" she cautiously removed her hand. 

"AH! No! You'll murder me an' my family!" he wailed.

Tahl slapped her hand over his mouth again. "No, I'm not here to murder anyone! I'm just looking for my friend, please, can't you help me?" There was pleading in her voice.

His response was a barrage of muffled yells. Sighing, Tahl easily knocked him out with the force and dragged him under a bush. She'd have to do this the hard way then. 

Slipping her hood up, she slide across the wall and to the door. Then she slipped inside, her movements fluid as water. Thunder rumbled as the door shut, sealing the darkness. 

It took the young Jedi a moment to adjust her eyes. She was in a large chamber, with lots of passages leading off in different directions. The walls were stone and mossy, the floor a hard permacrete. Tahl had to be careful to be sure her steps were silent as she padded down a hallway. She stuck close to the shadows, wrapping her presence in a cloak of darkness. Now and then she heard voices from another passage way, but met no one but black empty halls. Tahl wasn't sure where to go, so she followed her instincts and trusted the force to guide her. An empty way leading down. It looked promising. 

She hadn't gone but a little ways when she froze. There was danger. Tahl stood perfectly still for a few moments, listening. Then she felt the cold metal of a blaster nudging her shoulder blades. 

"A Jedi? Hm, you don't see many of them in these parts. But they seem to be springing up an awful lot of late." The voice was neither threatening nor sinister, but with an unconcerned neutrality that made Tahl wonder. 

"You don't want to kill me. Let me go." she whispered. 

The answer was a low chuckle. "A little Jedi. I thought you might show up." 

"Please. Please, let me go. I'm only looking for someone..." 

"I know." his voice did not sound so amused now, in fact he sounded suddenly very young. "A boy, right? Jedi, like yourself, brownish hair-sort of tall? Yes, I know." he sighed and Tahl sensed a prick of guilt within him. A pang of sorrow. Her heart broke.

"Your friend is dead. He didn't have a hope. I am sorry. Now please, get out while you can. Enough blood has been spilt here. Fly, before the same happens to you. I won't tell anyone you've been here. No one need know." the blaster dropped and he gripped her shoulder. His blue eyes gleamed earnestly in the darkness.

Tahl felt everything she had been holding shatter inside her. It was true then. Her body sank against the wall. It felt like an icy claw was constricting her chest, ripping at her heart, and choking her. Helpless, angry tears that she had only *just* been holding back pricked at her eyes. 

"No..." Tahl's voice broke with the whispered word. "Are you...absolutely sure?"

"He was dying when I saw him yesterday. I am sure of that. You can look into someone's eyes and know. I've seen in before." his voice was low, saddened. "Besides...he could not have survived to see today, he was much too weak, and the night was far too cold." Li stared at Tahl, searching for sad acceptance but finding only violent denial. "Your friend was very brave." The man whispered. "He didn't tell us anything. Conn couldn't get a word from him. You should be proud."

Tahl's eyes grew huge. "Force!" she breathed in horror. "T-they made him...suffer?" The girl did not wait for an answer, throwing herself down the hallway with a broken cry. 

Li ran after her. "Wait! You don't know where you're going!"

"To find Qui-Gon!"

"You'll be killed! Or worse...please, Jedi, get away while you can." he caught up with her and grabbed her arm. 

She broke his grasp easily. "Get off me! I'm not going to leave him here." 

Li was not easily deterred. He jogged to keep up. "It's no use he's dead! Listen you-" 

"Tahl." she snapped irritably.

"Huh?"

"My name is Tahl!"

"Oh. Li." he nodded. "Alright then, listen Tahl-I'm coming with you!"

At this proposal, she halted. "Ho-oh, no you're not!"

"And how will you find him, hm? There are hundreds of tunnels! And guards too! And even if you do reach him, how will you get him back out again?" he crossed his arms stubbornly. 

Tahl looked at the floor. Thunder rocked the compound and the stone walls shuddered. She was stuck; helpless, just as she had been helpless to save Qui-Gon. Finally she met Li's eyes. "How do I know you won't lead me into a trap?" 

"I talked to your friend after...after my leader was through with him." Li's pale blue eyes were sad. "He thanked me...for something...stupid" he shrugged, shaking his head. "He was good. Much too young to be sent to this hopeless place. But good. A Jedi to the last. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't. So I'll help you instead."

Tahl was torn. She did not particularly like this Li, and she wasn't about to trust him just yet. But she had no other choice. She was hopelessly lost. The force tugged at her with an insistent voice: "Follow him, Follow him!" She gave in. "Fine. But if you try *anything*..."

He took her hand. "It's this way."

~*~

He wasn't dead. Maybe the force hated him too much to let him die. But he was alive, even if barely. A thread of life tugged him conscious, depriving him of the deep eternal sleep his body longed to slip away into. He was wrenched awake by the sound of a heavy door opening. Shadow? No, she had stayed away since he had refused her. He was vaguely aware of voices. Had they come to hurt him more? To exhausted to care, Qui-Gon tried to screen the sound of his captors out. He was sick of struggling, sick of trying to hide weakness, sick of trying to present a bold strong front. He didn't move, didn't stir as the footsteps drew nearer. He kept his eyes tightly closed.

"Oh!" a sharp exclamation echoed around the cell. The voice was feminine and clear, different from the others he had heard. He knew it from somewhere but his hazy mind couldn't place it. It was as if it were a ghost of another life, a time when he felt carefree almost; happy. *Happy..* It had been so long ago, hadn't it, that he had been happy? Or just pain-free? He'd settle for just pain-free now. Qui-Gon sensed someone kneeling beside him. He felt a gentle hand take his own pierced, bloody one. The intense pain made him want to pull away but he remained still and silent. He heard a ripping sound and then a cloth pressed against the bleeding wound. 

He was confused. Why did the Muh-Hadden care if he bled to death, why was he being attended to? His head hurt to much to try to work it out. She was tightly wrapping his hand and he felt her using the force to clot his blood. A force-sensitive Muh-Hadden? Was he dreaming?

She pressed down on the wound, securing the cloth in a makeshift bandage. The pain drove tears to his eyes; he winced and tried to pull away. Her hand was gentle but firm, stilling his movements. "Shhhh, I know it hurts..." She stroked his cheek gently a moment, then called toward the door. "Throw me down a blanket from my pack Li, he's freezing!" 

Warmth and clarity flared inside Qui-Gon. Suddenly he recognized the voice. He opened his eyes. "Tahl!" he whispered hoarsely. His voice was weak, roughened with pain, but his eyes spoke for him. 

Tahl smiled through glistening eyes. She wanted her first words to him to be strong, confident. But it was hard to sound confident when her heart was breaking into a thousand tiny pieces. "You *are* awake." She caught the blanket Li tossed her and pulled it around her friends shoulders securely. Feeling him shiver even still, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and leaned down closer to him. "You look awful friend..." she whispered. "Li tells me you're in pretty bad shape..." Tahl continued stroking his cheek softly with the back of her hand as she spoke. "But it's going to be alright Qui-Gon, I'm going to get you out of this awful place. It will all turn out, you'll see." He nodded, his expression almost that of sleepy contention now that she was here. He believed the nice things she said, hope seemed so much better then dying. Everything turning out seemed so impossible only moments ago, but now Tahl was with him...he'd be alright. Alright...

Tahl watched as his eyes drifted shut, touched by his unfaltering reliance on her. This young man was so different than the confident Jedi she'd known before this disaster, Qui-Gon seemed younger than his 17 years and more vulnerable. She hugged him closer to her. "It's alright, just sleep now." she murmured.

"Hate to ruin the moment Tahl but we've got to get out of here!" Li's panicked voice could be heard from the hall. 

Tahl swore under her breath. Quickly she tugged at his other hand, only to find it tightly tied with a sticky white binding. With a gasp she recognized it as the web of a spider that lived in the bowels of Coruscant, rare but unmistakable. It was force void. Qui-Gon couldn't touch the force. That would explain why he was so painfully weak. He couldn't heal himself, he couldn't feel her, and he couldn't relieve the torment of his wounds. Her heart broke as she untied it. "Li, can you carry him?!" 

The blond guard strode into the cell, wincing as he saw the boy's condition. "Oh Tahl...He doesn't look too good..."

"Quit pretending you care, your people did this to him." Tahl snapped, rare anger flushing her cheeks. She lifted her now-unconscious friend and cradled him against her chest. "If you're going to sit there making dumb remarks just leave!"

Li looked affronted. "Calm down! I'm on your side!" He knelt next to her. "Look I'm sorry about what happened to your little friend, I really am! If I could've stopped it I would have. But what's been done has been done. You can't change the past, but you can affect the future. *His* future." He motioned toward Qui-Gon. "Your future. I can help you." He touched her arm. 

Tahl sighed. "I'm sorry Li. I know this isn't your fault." she looked helplessly down at Qui-Gon. Her fingers stroked his hair tenderly, tears stinging her eyes. "He's so sick. Can you get him out of here?"

Li easily lifted the limp Jedi in his arms. "I can get you both out of here," he grinned. "Follow me, there's a swoop out back." Tahl nodded and followed him out into the hallway.

They moved swiftly and silently along the corridor. Tahl could tell they were headed upward but to another part of the prison it seemed. A few guards passed but no one questioned them. Thunder rumbled above them and she shivered. It had gotten colder. 

Li turned his head to address her. "We're almost out. Its just a little bit further." The hallway spilled out into another passage, this one lighter than the previous. "We've got to be careful now, there are more guards up this way." 

As if to answer him a tall, willowy man blocked his path. He glared at Tahl and then Qui-Gon's limp form before finally shifting his gaze to Li. "Where are you taking this prisoner?" he demanded motioning at the Jedi. "I was not informed of any authorized release!" 

Tahl stepped forward smoothly. "You don't need to worry about it. We're free to go." she gave a casual flick with her hand. The man and Li stared at her. 

"What are you talking about?! I'm the head guard of this part of the prison! Of course I need to worry about it!" He spat.

Under any other circumstances the situation would have been funny. Tahl waved her hand a little harder this time, and her voice was a little more urgent. "You *will* let us pass!" she concentrated harder on the Force but the man was unmoved. 

"Oh, I will?! Enough of your games, let me see your I.D.!" 

Li sighed heavily and pushed past Tahl. "Look Corel, she's new, cut her some slack!" He elbowed the girl hard. "New and really *stupid!* She, uh, doesn't understand just how important your position is." Corel stared at Tahl as if he couldn't quite comprehend someone who didn't respect his authority. Li continued on. "We aren't releasing the Jedi kid, he's..um..dead. I was just showing her where we chuck the bodies."

Corel stared at Qui-Gon in disgust. "I thought those Jedi were supposed to be tougher than that. Huh." 

Tahl's face reddened at his remark but Li positioned himself in front of her. "Yeah, me too. Oh well, good riddance,I say." 

The other nodded. Perhaps the little ruse would of worked had Qui-Gon not chosen that moment to stir and moan. Everyone stared at him. There was a shocked silence. 

Li looked around frantically. "Um, yes, well he's really heavy so can't stay here chatting-bye Corel!" he started off toward the exit, Tahl hurrying after him. Corel stared after them in utter disbelief. 


	7. Where the Wind Will Take You

Once out of earshot Tahl burst out, "Li why are we running! We're going to look suspicious if we're running! He's not following us!" 

Li didn't slow his pace or turn. "Really smart Tahl, loved your little mind-trick! And yes, there is a very good reason for running. I know that little dinko, he's going to Conn." Apparently that was suppose to shock her into silence, but Tahl was still confused.

"Who is Conn and why should we care?"

"Conn would be the one responsible for your friends current condition. And we should care because he doesn't particularly like Jedi or me for that matter." 

Tahl's eyes grew dark. "*He* did this to Qui-Gon? Maybe I would like to meet this spawn of..."

"If you'd like to die screaming be my guest, but I'm leaving!" He half-turned. "And um, I bet if Qui-Gon were conscious he'd want to leave too!" He continued down the hallway. Tahl jogged to keep up. 

"Look I don't *run* from anyone Li!" she declared angrily.

"Then you are very foolish, my friend. Conn's got a practical army at his back. Come back and get your revenge later. I think there are other things that need your attention more at the present." Li stated blandly. "Now, come on, we've got to get past the guard at the gate."

Tahl smiled mischievously. "Already been taken care of."

Li grinned back. "Good. You *are* useful for something." They hurried out and around the back of the fortress, past the unconscious guard and to where the swoop was parked. A steady rain beat down on them, but they did not slow their steps. Freedom was only a few steps away. 

Li turned to Tahl. His blond hair whipped around in the wind. "Get on!" he snapped frantically, motioning her to sit. She swung her leg over one side of the swoop and then looked to Li. He dropped Qui-Gon down against her, and she tightened her arms around the comatose Jedi. "Try to get him to come around, I'll get you a med pack." He fumbled in a compartment on the side of the vehicle.

Tahl pulled Qui-Gon closer to her. He was shivering with cold and shock. She pulled her robe out so it covered him and kept him dry, whispering softly to him as she did. His eyes flickered open a moment and he looked up weakly at her. 

"Where...are...?" he rasped.

Tahl gave him a small smile and nudged him. "Look." 

"Tree's..." he whispered turning his head slightly. He inhaled the rain-freshened air, a look of wonderment on his features. "Rain..." Qui-Gon paused, not quite daring to believe. He turned back to Tahl, who's smile broadened. "We're...out?" 

"I told you I would get you out!" Tahl's voice was warm. "Didn't you believe me?" she teased him gently. 

Li stood over the swoop blocking them from the rain. His eyes were warm as he looked down at Qui-Gon who was looking bewildered. "You?" the wounded Jedi asked, shocked. Was he dreaming? A Muh-hadden was helping him escape? 

Li grinned sheepishly. "Felt bad for you after we talked in the hall. You seemed like a nice kid to die such a horrible death. Thought I might give Tahl a hand with this *daring* rescue." He patted his arm and then turned to Tahl, tossing her a med pack. "There's not much in it but you should be able to at least make him a little more comfortable." he added in a lower tone.

Tahl gave him a more-than-a-little concerned look. "Make him more comfortable? He *is* going to be alright..." she faltered, trying to sound more confident than she was. 

Li's light blue eyes dimmed. "I'm not sure Tahl, I'm just not sure." his voice was no more than a soft whisper. "I hope he'll be alright. But..." A sound from the prison made them both turn. "we haven't much time! I'll tell them that you tricked me and stole the swoop. Are you a good pilot? The forest is extremely hard to navigate."

Tahl's eyes flicked sideways at the thick seemingly impenetrable wall of trees. "O-of course.." she lied. Qui-Gon's eyes widened and he gave a soft moan. Tahl clapped a hand over his mouth and shot him a meaningful look. "Yes, I'm a excellent pilot." 

Li sighed in relief. "Good! I'll tell them you took the road toward the Philomel valley. In the meantime hide in the forest. There's not much fuel in this, but take it as far as you can on what you have." Tahl nodded, biting her lip. "Be careful, the woods are huge, it's easy to get lost in them. Go now, they're coming." 

Tahl glanced over at Li once last time. "Thank you for all you've done." she wrapped an arm around Qui-Gon's waist steadying him on the swoop and then gunned the motor. 'I'll never forget you Li!" she called, then was off in a puff of exhaust.

Li watched her disappear into the forest, almost sadly. He wished he could do more for the two, but now it was up to them. He turned toward the prison and back to his life.

Tahl sped into the woods without a backward glance. She hoped the terrain wasn't too bad, she had never done well at all on the obstacle courses back at the temple. *The force will guide me.* she thought, but her optimism was tested as she had to swerve to avoid a clump of very thick brush. Once past it she flew toward the interior of the forest, to where there was hardly room for her swoop between the trees. She hadn't the faintest idea where she was headed, but pushed the little vehicle as hard as she could deeper and deeper in. 

The forest was impressive to say the least. Even as her emotions swirled like a cyclone, Tahl could not help but notice the silent majesty of the trees. They stood like giant priests guarding some sacred ground, firm, unmovable. She felt like an intruder into a quiet sanctuary. The air was eerily still, even as a fine mist of rain drifted through the canopy. Somehow she could tell that they were the only beings to have journeyed here in many years.

She swerved through a narrow gap in between two particularly large trees and shot over a boulder. She only had a very tiny amount of fuel left, but she figured that it would be virtually impossible for anyone to find them this deep into the forest. Most of the planet was covered by this thick blanket of trees and with no native people living in this part they should be safe. The swoop got her a few more miles but she knew it was time to look for a site to camp and recover. She looped around until she found a sort of small clearing, where she could land and conceal the swoop. It was only a few feet of clear area but big enough, and she cut the power just as the last fuel was spent. 

Without the familiar hum of the engine the forest seemed more imposing then ever. A far-off shriek of a native bird make her jump. 

She decisively turned toward the gap between the trees. It was a perfect place to hide, they would be sheltered by the three forest giants and she could faintly hear running water, the promise of some brook or spring. 

Tahl spread an extra blanket on the ground and then turned to Qui-Gon. He had slipped into unconsciousness during the trip, and lay as if boneless against the seat on the swoop. She was startled at how pale he was. His face was drained of all color, his lips, almost white. His striking features looked more boyish, with a hurt vulnerability Tahl had never seen. As she pulled him into a standing position he sagged against her lifelessly. She took a few steps to the blanket, staggering under his weight, then lay him down on it. His eyes slowly opened, cloudy and dull. 

Tahl dropped to her knees beside him. The deep, horrible wounds would not be fatal, but rather the silent, sweeping chill of shock. His bodies own response to the trauma would end this pain. He had held it off with the force for a time, but he was too worn out now. Too sick, too cold, too tired to fight. 

She slide a hand over his bare chest to rest over her friends heart. His skin was cool and damp. She saw his eyes trying to focus on her, lips forming words. "'m I..." he began, his voice was soft and almost impossible to hear, as if he were speaking from very far away. "Dying?" he finished, both quiet acceptance and fear colliding on his features. Qui-Gon could feel his body slowly losing the fight to stay alive. 

Tahl just stared at his bruised and battered face, tears forming in her emerald eyes. What could she say? She could not lie to him, not now after everything! She could feel his life force fading like some dying flower, wilting and weakening with every breath, pulling him further and further away from her. Tahl couldn't say it. The words stuck in her throat, choking her. She stared at him desperately, searching for something, anything to say other than this horrible silence. When words finally did come, her voice was high and unnatural, pinched with panic. 

"You'll be fine!" she told him, surprised to find herself angry, her voice intense. "If you give up they win, don't you get it!!!" she glared at his surprised face. "Come on, what has Master Dooku always drilled into your head?"

Qui-Gon looked up at her sadly, his eyes glittering like the hazy blue of the twilight sky. "Where is Dooku now?" he whispered. 

"He always told you to never give up! Never stop fighting!"Tahl ignored his comment and went on. "Hold on and never ever shed a tear." Her anger broke as thunder rumbled in the distance. The tears she had been holding back trickled down her cheeks. "You can't... You've got to hold on..." she murmured in a very small voice. He was slipping away. She tried to cling to his force signature but he seem to fall away like rain drops through her fingers. She reached out with everything she had, everything she believed in to give him strength. His eyes were drifting closed. 

The force whirled around them, binding them in an embrace of light, as Tahl tried desperately to heal him. She poured as much energy as she could into his broken body but she knew her ability was limited. His body went limp against hers as consciousness fled again. He would sleep now, deep and forever into the waiting embrace of mortality. She continued, futile as her efforts felt. She would not, could not lose him like this. 

There was little more she could do for her friend now. She had nothing left to give him. In the deep dark places of her mind she knew that the rest was up to Qui-Gon's strength, but in her heart, she begged him with every breath to be alright. 

Tahl pulled him against her chest, entwining her arms around his mid section gently. "Be strong tonight." she whispered into his hair. "Please be strong."

***

She remembered so clearly the day they had first met. He had been quiet, oddly reflective for a child of his age, yet still with a somewhat dangerous, reckless spirit that seem to often cloud his better judgement. Looking back, she supposed she shouldn't have encouraged it so much, for some of their messier adventures made her shudder in retrospect. He was her partner in crime, and in all things really, for whenever was there a time when he wasn't by her side? Her defender, her comforter, her playmate and best friend. Things wouldn't change when they became padawans, the new lifestyle had never broken their bond. He changed, of course, becoming more compassionate, evolving into a calm, centered youth with a strong body and keen blue eyes. She supposed she had changed too. They were both growing up, together. She had looked forward to the day they would stand as knights, again, together. But now...would she ever see that day? How could she go on if he died? How could, after all these years, stand alone? Without the brooding young man lurking in the background? Without the only padawan in the temple who could beat her with a lightsaber? Without someone to comfort her when things got bad? Without her best friend? 

***

His world was grey and dark. The water around him was black and icy cold, numbing his limbs as he slipped deeper down into it. He tried vainly to keep his head above water but the depths dragged him further down. He was so, so cold. Qui-Gon felt the water swirl around his chest, then shoulders, pressing in on him and making it nearly impossible to draw breath. He tried to cry out for help but choked on the cold, bitter water instead. His head went under...

Tahl clung to him as he struggled in her arms, his breathing, uneven gasps, his expression, tormented. Qui-Gon thrashed and convulsed, his eyes tightly shut even as tears ran down his face. He twisted in anguish a few moments more before he went totally limp again, sagging against her. She reached out with the force one more time, to see if there was anything, *anything* she could do to save him. Giving him anymore of her life energy could kill them both. But if there was a small chance that her actions could save him... Throwing caution to the wind, she wrapped her own life force around his, a last act of desperate denial. What else was there to do? She had to take this risk. "You can't have this one." she whispered into the icy fingers of death, that threatened to pull him away from her. With each painful heave of his chest he fell further. Her voice was lost in the darkness.

***

__

Who's to say where the wind will take you,

who's to know what it is will break you

I don't know which way the wind will blow

who's to know when the time has come around

Don't wanna see you cry

I know that this is not goodbye...


	8. Defining Broken

"You can't have this one..." the words drifted across Qui-Gon's fuzzy brain. He'd heard them in the midst of some nightmare but he couldn't remember anything else about the previous night. His head felt foggy and disoriented and with a start he realized he didn't know where he was. He was frightened at first, but only at first. He was gloriously warm and pain-free, a beautiful sensation he had not felt since the beginning of this disaster. * I must be dead* he thought grimly. *At least it doesn't hurt anymore.* Being dead wasn't that bad if life was agony. A break from pain. It was nice. 

He felt something damp on his cheek. It startled him. A dead person cannot feel, can they? He gradually became aware of his surroundings, he was lying on his side, something draped over his shoulder. With a start he realized it was rain on his face. He was alive. He stirred slightly and felt pain lance up his arm. With a soft moan, he stilled his movements. That hurt. Yes, he was definitely alive. 

But where was he anyway? It was too comfortable, too safe to be the cold cell. *Am I home then, has everything just been a dream?* He thought hazily. Like a comforting old friend, he felt the force's embrace once more, the familiar light and *peace.* Was everything bad that had happened just going to come undone? Someone was holding him, he felt arms about his waist. The hands clasped over his abdomen were warm and oddly comforting. He leaned back and felt them tighten around him. He smiled.

Tahl lay next to him, completely exhausted from the day before and sleeping peacefully. Her

hand curled protectively around him as if she'd never let him go again. He snuggled sleepily

against her, happy for the first time in what seemed like forever. 

***

It was mid afternoon when Tahl finally woke. Her strength had been depleted by helping Qui-Gon, she had fallen into a deep, dreamless slumber. It was the steady rain that awoke her, the storm from the previous night bleeding rain in torrents against the canopy. While the thick foliage sheltered them to a great extent, Tahl still rose and propped her robe up over the small cavity in the trunk where they had bedded down. She spread it out on a broken branch above them so no rain could get in, then stood back to inspect her work. Her makeshift tent complete she stepped under it and sat down cross-legged next to Qui-Gon. 

Her friend slept on, oblivious to it all. Tahl noticed with relief that his breathing was steadier, deeper and he'd regained some color. His appearance still broke her heart though. Even as he dreamed, she could hardly look at him without tears rising in her eyes. He was curled into a ball of hurt, his maimed hand laying open by his side. Dried blood caked around the deep puncture wound and blood had seeped through the strip of tunic she had bound it with. His face was marred by bruises, cuts and grime; dark circles under his eyes testified to how much he needed the healing sleep. He looked so young...a pitiful shadow of himself.

Her eyes flicked to his Padawan braid which was draped down his bare shoulder, looking as bedraggled as the rest of him. His braid was his pride, it felt so strange to see it tangled. He was so enthusiastic about the symbol of his training, she remembered the first day he had added a band to it, how excited he'd been. He was only 13 at the time, but even for a youth he'd been so delighted by it. Tahl sighed and reached out to brush it. The boy flinched as her fingers made contact with his skin. 

"Do you even know it's me?" she whispered heart-brokenly, gently unfastening his braid and undoing its weave. She smoothed it out with her fingers and then began to re-braid it carefully. His expression changed from one of sleeping contentment to agitation. Tahl smiled. Some things would never change. She ignored him and continued to braid. He stirred, trying to bat her away from his face with his uninjured hand, and Tahl stilled her hand, a small smile touching her lips a moment. She wasn't exactly sure *why* she was bothering him like this; she knew all to well he needed this rest. In her heart of hearts, she sort of wanted him to wake up; she was scared and alone. 

A moment passed before he groaned and rewarded her efforts with a flicker of grey-blue. Tahl finished tying his braid and lay it back on his shoulder, giving him a smile. Her friend blinked sleepily at her. "T-tahl?"

"Mmm-hm. I'm right here." she lay next to him, propping herself up on a bent arm. He reached up and felt his now untangled braid. Tahl's own smile broadened as she saw his lips quirk slightly at her. She gave the braid a little tweak just to see what he'd do. 

"Stop..." he moaned pathetically, too weak to defend himself against her teasing, for now. "Please...leave my braid alone." 

"You're not very fun in the morning" she chided, but stopped her tormenting feeling bad that he couldn't at least fight back. It scared her really, for it was testament to how weak he was. Usually he would have played along or at the very least made a swat at her. Tahl's eyes grew grave. She leaned forward, concerned. "How do you feel?"

"Like...like someone beat me with a very large stick." he murmured. He added a half-smile at her worried eyes. 

"I'm fine." he mumbled. The boy started to sit up, but stopped with a surprised gasp, unable to take the pain in his shoulders. Tahl pressed him down easily with a hand.

"Guess again Qui-Gon. You're injured, take it easy." She pulled the med kit Li had given her out of her bag. "What hurts?" she asked, glancing at his bruised face.

Qui-Gon made a face at her. He was at a difficult spot, on one hand he didn't want to be touched at all, just to curl up in a ball of misery and lick his wounds alone. However on the other side it hurt *so* bad, he knew he really needed medical attention. 

Tahl stared at him a moment, then spoke again. "What happened anyway?" he noticed she was staring down at his pierced hand. 

He felt a fear pull at him. More, a terror. His eyes grew wide as he remembered, remembered what he so much wanted to forget. His head spun with the feeling, he felt dizzy and sick. He couldn't tell her. Not now, it hurt too much. He didn't want to tell anyone what he had felt at the mercy of the Muh-Hadden. The anger, the darkness, the pain. It was physically painful to think on it, and didn't he have enough of that already? Why should he have to relive it? He felt suddenly angry at Tahl for making him think about it, he didn't want to, Force, didn't want to! The whole while his friend continued to stare at him as a million panicked thoughts raced through his weary mind. 

"Well?" she prompted. "If I don't know what's wrong I can't help you." 

He drew a shuddering breath. Tahl wasn't trying to make him suffer, she was only trying to help him. Qui-Gon told himself that over and over. She was on his side, she wouldn't hurt him, she didn't want to know anything about the names...names... Conn's mocking voice sprang into his head. All over a few names...

"I..." he desperately wanted to tell her that he couldn't remember but he had never lied to Tahl, how could he now? "I don't want to talk about it, I can't." he breathed.

Tahl looked at him sadly. "Li told me some of it. I can understand if you don't want to talk about it." 

"Oh..." Qui-Gon murmured to himself, anxiously fingering his braid. 

"Yes." Tahl looked unconcerned at his fears, rather focusing on his eyes, full of pain. "Now, anything broken?" 

Qui-Gon stared blankly ahead. 'Define broken' he thought to himself. He tapped into the force and it was there as always with him, feeding him strength. He wrapped it around his hurting body, feeling the injuries he'd sustained. It was funny, he had never really thought about where he was wounded, it was just hurt. 

"My ribs..." he said quietly. "They hit me pretty hard in the ribs. Its hard to breathe." 

Tahl pulled herself up and leaned over her friend. She could easily see the black and blue swollen area on his chest. It looked painful, but not more than she knew Qui-Gon could handle. The difficulty breathing worried her though. If a rib had been broken and pierced a lung, she wasn't sure how much she could help him. She reached out with the force feeling it stir and drawing it to her. Only once she had connected to it did she reach toward him physically. Tahl skimmed her fingers over the swelling as lightly as she could and still get an idea of the damage. Qui-Gon winced, but kept still as she worked. She glanced at his red-rimmed eyes a moment and then pressed down on the bruised skin, probing for fracture. He cried out softly, biting his lip. After a moment, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Bruised, not broken." 

She didn't move her hand from his chest, sliding upward from his ribs to his upper torso. Qui-Gon was puzzled but didn't move, letting her work. Tahl had always been better at the healing arts. Her hands traveled on until she finally came to rest over his sternum. "Something's wrong here...I can sense...you're sick." 

Qui-Gon gave her a scared look, but she reassured him with a soft word. " 's okay. It's not bad. That's just why it hurts to breathe." He looked still a bit unnerved but trusted her word. 

" I know your back isn't in very good shape, but I only have a few supplies. Can you sit up?" she asked, her brow furrowing. 

Qui-Gon was sure that having her even touch his back would hurt more than he liked to think about, but he was left with no other choice. He complied with her order and forced his tired limbs to move. She moved forward, inspecting the stripes. 

"Ooh, Qui-Gon!" she said in a heartbroken whisper. "What did they do to you?" she hadn't seen the damage in full light before and the extent of the injuries were massive. Long cuts crisscrossed his back and shoulders of varying depths and seriousness. Some licked over his shoulders and a few ventured down across his abdomen. 'He must have been in so much pain...' she felt her heart drop. "Your back is a mess." 

"Tahl, you're not very reassuring." Qui-Gon groaned painfully through gritted teeth.

She gave him a weak smile. "Sorry." the girl paused, grimacing as she looked at the wounds. "This is going to hurt." 

"See, this is what I'm talking about." he said, paling a little. 

"I'm just warning you!" Tahl said, exasperated. She poured some water out of her bottle into a little cup, and then ripped her extra tunic into strips. "I'm going to have to clean these up before I can treat them. That part is going to hurt. But afterward it will feel better."

She saw him nod. "Good, now just hang in there..." she touched the wet rag against his hurting back as gently as she could. Qui-Gon yelped and pulled away as soon as she had touched him. 

"Did I hurt you?!!!" she asked frantically, taking his hand. 

He coughed weakly, wincing as his chest expanded with the spasm. "Well, yes, but...I'm all right." he whispered. "Go on." 

She wet the rag again and began to clean the wounds, easing out the dirt and dried blood, every few seconds glancing up nervously at him. Qui-Gon kept still and silent as she worked, the only noise a soft moan as she cleaned out a particularly bad slash. Tahl knew she was hurting him and tried to help him with the pain through the force but she was so depleted from the previous night there was little else she could do but try to be as quick as possible. 

Finally she stopped, letting her friend rest before bandaging him. His face was white and he was shaking but his breathing was steady and his eyes clear. She grinned. "Wasn't so bad now, was it?"

He shuddered, forcing a quirk of the lips. 

She stared distractedly at the med kit. "I've got some salve but no bacta. That will be a bit of a problem." 

Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow at her. "I've come this far, haven't I?" he said, sounding more confident than he was.

She grinned at him. "I'll admit, I didn't think you had it in you." Her eyes shone proudly at him. "Braver then you look." He blushed and shot her a look of mock indignation, but said nothing. After spreading the salve across his back, she finally instructed him to lay back down. 

"Now let me see your hand." she ordered, finding some bandages in the out-dated med kit. 

He hesitated a moment, but only a moment and then gingerly held out his left hand. She glanced at it and swore. She didn't want to cause him any more pain, but it had to be cleaned so it wouldn't get infected. This would hurt him, badly. She glanced out at the tranquil green woods before finally turning back. 

"Alright Qui-Gon concentrate on my voice" she spoke in a soft, soothing voice. She waited until she had his full attention before continuing. 

. "Now I want you to close your eyes..."

Again, Qui-Gon followed her orders, shutting his eyes, though he felt stupid. "that's good, keep them closed." he heard, and felt a soft hand on his temple. *what IS she doing?* he wondered. 

"Tahl...what's going on, what are you-" Tahl grinned and then pressed hard on his mind with the force as an answer. Qui-Gon stopped in mid sentence, his words turning into a sigh, his head dropping against his chest. His mind went utterly blank as the oblivion of sleep claimed him. His body went limp and his face smoothed over the lines of worry and pain. Tahl watched with a smile that lingered on her lips as he gave a little soft breath of contention. 

"And he's out." with that she went to work...


	9. Through the Black

It was dark when Qui-Gon opened his eyes. He had originally woke because he'd been too warm, but now he felt chilled. He shivered and glanced around at the black woods. Tahl lay next to him, sleeping deeply. His blue eyes narrowed. "That wasn't a fair trick." he scolded the sleeping girl. But whatever she had put on his hand had made it feel better. He looked down at the bandage which covered the wound. It didn't hurt so badly. Qui-Gon flexed his fingers experimentally, but pain shot through his ruined hand so he ceased his actions with a sigh. He'd have to visit the healers when he got home to the temple. "*If* I ever get home." he thought miserably, rolling over on his stomach seeking a position to take some of the strain off of his torn muscles. It wasn't the awful pain he had felt earlier, but enough to make him very uncomfortable. He cupped his chin in his hands, suppressing a moan. He felt cold and achy and now his chest hurt. He lay his head to the side, staring off into the darkness.

During the day the forest had seemed big and majestic, but now the vastness of it made Qui-Gon feel very alone and small. It was so dark. He shivered again, rubbing his arms. 

Next to him Tahl instinctively moved closer. It was strange; he thought in a detached sort of way, that instead of shrinking away from him as would be natural, she scooted closer to keep him warm. He was glad for the it; leaning into her, he felt some of the cold lessen. A moment later he felt her stir and heard a soft sigh.

"Are you awake then?" her sleep-roughened voice held amusement. 

Qui-Gon felt his face grow red. He hadn't meant to wake her. 

"What's the matter?" he felt her turn over so that she was facing him. 

"It's so cold." he murmured softly, turning his face to her. "I didn't mean to bother you..." he ducked his head, embarrassed. But when he looked up even in the darkness he knew she was grinning. 

"You're quite noisy when you're cold." she laughed softy and scooted closer to him; wrapping an arm around her surprised friend. She felt him tremble as she hugged him to her. She frowned. "You *are* cold!" 

"I know..." he moaned. His voice was close to her cheek. "This planet is freezing at night." 

"No..." she whispered. She ran her hand up the side of his face, resting it on his flushed forehead. "You're a little too warm." she felt his skin temperature again with the back of her hand. "Fever." she sighed, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Small wonder!"

Qui-Gon tilted his head to the side. "What-"

She shushed him. "Don't worry about it. You're going to be fine, its just a little temperature. Get some sleep." Tahl felt him nod. She closed her emerald eyes and it wasn't long before she felt sleep pulling at her consciousness.

Qui-Gon, however, lay awake beside her, thinking. He didn't close his sad blue eyes until long after the moons had begun to fade...

***

The morning was grey and misty. Tahl rolled over listlessly, staring off into the haze. The rain had not ceased during the night; it was still steadily beating down on the forest like it would never stop. Tahl sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching.

She turned to Qui-Gon and laid a cool hand on his forehead. He was raging with fever. Her brows knit together in concerned lines. Normally she wouldn't be worried but in his weakened state she wasn't sure if Qui-Gon's body could effectively fight it. She knew he had been very sick in the prison, but was hoping he was at the recovery phase. This would complicate things. And he had been through so much already...

Shaking her head with fresh resolve she stood and retrieved her pack. She had some rations, but not enough to last them weeks. It all depended on if Qui-Gon would recover enough to make a run for it before they ran out. He would, of course, she told herself assuredly. Qui-Gon was made of strong stuff.

She arranged their meager supplies and took stock of what they had; there was little else to do while her friend slept. So Tahl lay back and watched the rain. 

It was a few hours before Qui-Gon finally stirred awake. His grey-blue eyes were cloudy as they sought out reassurance from Tahl. The girl wished she could give him some.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked, scooting closer. She lay hand on his shoulder gently, angling him toward her. His eyes were tired and his answer came softer than a whisper.

"..cold."

She felt his forehead, chewing her bottom lip. "You still have a high temperature. Oh!" she exclaimed, remembering suddenly. She handed him a canteen. "Here, drink this."

Qui-Gon didn't think anything could feel as good as the cool water against his bloodied, cracked lips. He swallowed it down; his parched body needing every drop desperately. He had forgotten how wonderful simple, clean water was, or how nice it felt to just be able to drink it. The coolness of the life-giving fluid was like a gift to his thirsty soul.

"Easy...drink it slowly." Tahl chided gently, absently rubbing circles on his shoulder. 

Qui-Gon handed it back to her with grateful eyes. "Thank you..." he whispered, and Tahl realized he was thanking her for much more than a drink of water. 

Tahl reached up an gave a soft tug on his braid, a half-smile showing, despite her best efforts to conceal it. She tucked the slim portion of hair behind his ear, and this time, Qui-Gon let her. They stared into each others eyes and for the first time in a long while, everything felt right.

The moment passed. Qui-Gon shuddered with chills and took another sip of water, leaning back against the tree. Tahl watched him. "You should lay back down. Sleep will help you recover."

Qui-Gon looked like he would like to protest, but was too weak to argue with her. He obediently lay down and curled up in the blanket. He felt a little better, but was still exhausted from the entire ordeal. His body was taking a good amount of energy to heal. He'd never been so depleted over an injury before. Never so drained. But further thought fell apart as he drifted to sleep.

Tahl watched his features soften into a mask of sleep. She knew he needed it. He would be alright, all he needed was to rest and give his body a break. The stress on it had been very high; the starvation and cold would have taken a large toil on their own even without the complications of the beatings. She felt so bad for her friend; a maternal tugging made her want to hold him and tell him it would all be alright. But instead, she stroked his hair as he slept; wishing she could somehow turn back time. 

His fever was breaking, but she guessed that he would sleep for a few more hours. Tahl decided it would be okay to leave him for a bit to go check out the campsite. She stood and ducked out into the drizzle, following the sound of the water. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon slept on.

* 

He couldn't say it was darkness. What was the dark, but an absence of light? No, this wasn't merely a lack of the glowing warmth, but rather a total sea of blackness; of inky nothing that made him want to curl up like a frightened child. The pain was bad, but nothing compared to the sheer blinding terror that coursed through him. He'd never in his life felt horror like this. He wanted to shrink into a ball and hide but the binds held him upright, exposed to the soul-piercing void. Tears filled his eyes and his breaths became sobs. He wished that his captors would come back, just so he wouldn't be alone! It was so cold and he was so afraid... afraid of the dark. Bowing his head he cried unrestrainedly in utter fright, throwing his body against the binding...

"Qui-Gon! Hey! Calm down!" Tahl's voice was full of panic as she literally sat on his chest to keep him down. Her wide eyes met his streaming ones, and their gazes locked. The thrashing Jedi immediately ceased his struggles, staring blankly into her face as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

"Shhh-" she soothed, watching him, a mixture of fright and sympathy on her lovely face. She was unnerved, but nothing compared to the wild terror of her friend. She released his arms, getting off him, but still with a hand over his chest in case he went berserk again. "Are you alright?"

He stared hard at her, almost trying to reassure himself that she was real. He had been back, back in the prison..but, had it been only a dream? Qui-Gon shook his head, trying to clear it. No, he was out of hell...Tahl had come, yes, he remembered now. But then why was the fear still with him?

He could work it out in sleepless nights to come. Right now, he thought it best to reassure Tahl that he was mentally stable. "Yes..."he croaked, sitting up and rubbing his temples. "Just...just a dream."

"Must of been *some* dream! Stars and galaxies!" Tahl exclaimed, shuddering. He didn't reply, rather focusing on trying to clear his confused head. His friend did not pry further but he could feel concern bubbling beneath her calm surface. Qui-Gon remained silent. He didn't want to talk about it now. He didn't want to re-live anything. He took a few sips of water and breathed. 

"It's nothing." he finally mumbled.

Tahl studied him a long moment. "Then why are you hiding from me?" she murmured bluntly. He stared at her in shock, bewildered by her abrupt question. She saw a spasm of fear dance across his features and then evaporate in the span of seconds. A battle between stubborn self-sufficiency and a genuine desire to unburden his heart. Tahl continued to watch. She was sick of this disguise. Did he think she couldn't feel his internal torment? Why was he shielding his feelings? What was he trying to mask?

"I won't hurt you. You don't have to veil what you're going through." she reached out a hand toward him...

Suddenly Qui-Gon looked up, his eyes blazing. Something within him snapped. "Listen! I don't want to talk about it!" he yelled, color flushing his cheeks crimson. 

Tahl pulled away, startled. She had never heard him use that tone before, nor had she ever seen his eyes look so dark. She thought for a moment that he might hit her. Then in a rush of sudden clarity, she could see the black shadow that had seeped into his aura. For the first time she saw past his shields to the emptiness she had been blind to. It frightened her. For days she had feared for his life, but now...losing his pure heart and gentle spirit to darkness would be a fate worse than death. What would he become?

"Tahl-" his voice was a ragged gasp. She turned her head away, broken by what she had felt. She couldn't bear to look at him, to see the face she loved marked by such darkness. 

"I-I'm sorry..." he stammered in a soft pleading whisper. 

She held up a trembling hand to silence him, but did not turn. "Please...don't speak." 

Qui-Gon lay his head in his hands in utter shame. He would rather have taken a thousand lashes than have Tahl say those words. It confirmed everything that he himself had feared, that although he was out of the prison the darkness was still a part of him. He had been marked, his soul burned by the hate and fear. Tahl knew. He felt the floodgates inside him shatter and the flow of anguish became more than he could bear. Would she leave him? Would she desert him? Everyone else had, why shouldn't she? He'd lost his only ally. His only friend. He wanted to run but was so drained by the rush of emotion that he could hardly breathe. The helpless despair inside him built to a crescendo. Covering his eyes he broke down, crying softly the bitter tears he had tried so hard to mask.

Tahl could feel misery the rolling off him in waves. Now she understood why he had hidden his emotions from her. He'd been afraid that she'd sense the anger. The fear. The flood of un-jedi like feelings swirling in a maelstrom of pain inside his battered body. She heard his soft tears. She half turned, fearing what she would find. He was resting his head on his hands as if he lacked the strength to support it on his own. Tears marked his cheeks with wet paths across the grime that still clung to his skin. He looked utterly broken. But, Tahl realized, he was just a crying boy. She saw no darkness now, only sorrow. She gently felt for him in the force. His carefully guarded mental shields had crumbled in the rush of emotions, and now everything he had desperately hidden was exposed. 

"What?" she said out of the blue. He looked up at her, perplexed and flinching with a trace of fear as if expecting a blow. "What?!" she repeated, her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone accusing. "Do you think that I would shun you, for the unforgivable sin of being scared? For feeling pain, or darkness?" She saw him give a half-hearted shrug. Sighing Tahl cupped his cheek in her hand, so their eyes met. "I know it hurts. It will for a while. But I just want you to know I'm here. You don't have to hide." 

Qui-Gon wished he could reply. The out flow of emotion had left the young Jedi strangely empty, drained, but better. It was like a release. He struggled for words.

"I apologize for yelling at you like that." Finally left his lips. Tahl smiled at him, trying hard not to laugh. How typically Qui-Gon. A dignified apology complimented by a characteristic blush; as if he were merely asking pardon for being late to a lesson, or some other petty thing. It was short and gentlemanly, absolutely no-nonsense. If he had not just bared his soul, if tears were not running down his face she would have thought nothing of it. 

"And I-I...I shouldn't have intruded into your business..." she looked down. "It's just...it bothers me to see you so sad, that's all."

"I-" He started to reply, but she silenced him with a wave. Tahl knew what he would say. Something told her he needed some time to himself more than he needed to apologize. And she needed a moment...

"Sh, just relax. I'll be back in a moment, I'm going to fetch some wood." Tahl hurried off before he could protest. 

Qui-Gon watched her leave, feeling drained and raw. But not so scared. Not so sad. It was almost as if the flood of tears had washed him clean, emptying him out of the darkness that had been slowly consuming his spirit. The relief tasted sweet. Qui-Gon straightened, feeling the soreness in his shoulders. He watched the forest for any sign of Tahl. 

Before long, she appeared beside him, a bundle of sticks in her arms. She began to busy herself making a fire as he watched. Her eyes were red and she looked like she'd been crying. He felt guilt dig into him. She had tried to hide it. Maybe washed her face. But her steady assurance was back.

"Well, anyway, I'm glad you're up and about." she stated, as if continuing a conversation they had been having. Stilling her movements, she winked at him. "It gets so dull without you, you know?" 

She was able to coax a small smile, the first in days. "Of course. Wouldn't want to bore you." There was a hint of his old sarcasm in his tone. He stretched out against the tree trunk, yawning in a sort of not-quite-awake-yet way. He put the dream, the fear, everything out of his mind. Focus on the now.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching her through half-closed eyelids as she began tending to something in a pot over the small fire. 

"Cooking, what does it look like?!" she rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. He shot her an 'I'm not amused' look and she laughed. 

"I can see that! Fine then,*what* are you cooking?" he wrinkled his nose at the bubbling concoction into which she was randomly throwing ingredients from her survival pack. "I didn't know you could cook. It looks...somewhat...off." 

"Of course I can cook!" Tahl answered, beginning to look irritated but at the same time amused at his words. She waved the spoon threateningly at him. "It's um..." she glanced down at the pot. "...soup. And don't criticize things you don't understand." 

"But-ah-I wasn't..." 

"No! No excuses! Sh!" Tahl made a slashing motion with the spoon, brandishing it comically. She glared, watching as her friend flopped over on his stomach, heaving a drawn out sigh. 

"You're rather irritable when it comes to culinary skill," he observed, sniffing airily.

"You're rather irritable when it comes to the braid of yours!" Tahl grinned, soup forgotten as she swiped at it playfully. Qui-Gon yelped and pulled away from her.

"*Tahl*" he groaned. "Just don't play with it!" he shook his head at her. "Honestly." 

Tahl ignored him and began filling the tin cups she had in her pack full of the soup. She handed him a cup of steaming liquid. "Honestly, yourself. Quit whining and eat something." she murmured in a tone that gave no argument. 

Qui-Gon sighed again and took the cup. He blew on the soup to cool it, watching her as she did the same. 

"Have you heard anything from the Muh-Hadden?" he asked abruptly, titling his head to the side quizzically.

"Not a peep. No search parties, no anything. Don't worry, Li said he'd tell them we went toward the village."

Qui-Gon turned his gaze off into the woods. "Do you think we're safe here then?"

"'course." Tahl said, her mouth full. "Eat 'cher soup"

Qui-Gon smiled at her, and then sipped the warm liquid gratefully. It was rather bland, but filling, and he liked it. It made him feel warm as it slid inside him. His sore throat felt better. Heat seeped into his fingers from the cup. 

Tahl made a face. "Bleah. Kind of tasteless, isn't it?" she set her own cup down. "Maybe you were right about my cooking. Huh, I'm sure it's good for you." she shrugged. 

"I think it's good-" Qui-Gon offered mildly, but Tahl cut him off. 

"Here. Have a energy bar." she tossed a ration pack at him. He unwrapped one and threw the pack back at her. Tahl caught it and began to fish around for more ingredients for her soup. 

"I think maybe if I add something to it...hm, lets see, what do we have?" 

"Maybe there's some native herbs around here," Qui-Gon suggested.

"Yes, but I don't know any!" Tahl replied, still searching and finding nothing.

" I had some information in my pack..." he sighed sadly. "But they took my pack, didn't they? And my shirt. And my boots. And my saber." he looked definitely miserable now. Qui-Gon flopped down, food forgotten. "Dooku is going to kill me...even more than for getting captured! My lightsaber!" he moaned.

Tahl shook her head, confused. "He's going to kill you for getting captured? Why?" she raised a quizzical eyebrow at him.

Her friend lay his chin in his hands. "They pummeled me Tahl. Wiped the floor with, some would say. Me, the padawan of the great Yan Dooku. The greatest saber master in the Temple." there was a bitter pride in his voice. "A band of soldiers versus a Jedi and I ended up captured. Maybe it's best they took my lightsaber. It's obvious I can't handle it." 

Tahl rolled her eyes. "Don't be a ninny."

"Seriously. I'm going to be in the training gym until next month. Providing I ever get home. Which looks like a slim chance, with all the Muh-" 

"Qui-Gon." in an instant she was inches from his face. Her voice was eloquent, with a strain of uncharacteristic anger. "We *are* going home. And I didn't come all this way and save your worthless hide to hear you whine about how pathetic you are!" Tahl gritted her teeth savagely with determination. "We *are* getting out of here! And you can come or I can drag you."

Qui-Gon stared at her in shock. "I-" he began but Tahl cut him off. Her anger had left in a flash and now she looked excited about something.

"And another thing." she pulled something out of her pack, a smile escaping. "I believe this is yours?" A silver cylinder dropped into his lap. He stared at it in disbelief as she beamed. "You shouldn't leave your things lying about! Some poor Muh-Hadden could trip over it!"

"You're amazing." Qui-Gon whispered, turning his saber over and checking for damage. "You really are."

Tahl's dark honey colored cheeks were singed with rose. "Of course. What's a Jedi without a lightsaber, hm? Actually thank Li. He's the one who knew where it was." 

He smiled happily at her, toying with the hilt in his hand. They sat in silence for a moment as Qui-Gon continued to inspect his saber. Satisfied at last that the weapon was not damaged in the least he leaned back against a tree, looking so genuinely *happy* that Tahl couldn't help but smile back.

She turned her attention back to the soup. There wasn't much that could effectively be added to it in her pack, but she had made do. It did seem a bit "off" as Qui-Gon had mentioned, but Tahl was convinced that it could be saved. She threw in a bit of this and that in and stirred again. Then she handed the cup again to Qui-Gon.

"Here. The improved version." she grinned.

Qui-Gon looked doubtful. "Why aren't you having any?" he asked suspiciously, glancing down at the concoction. 

"You need it. EAT." 

"Alright, alright!" he tasted it and looked up at her with a pained expression on his features. "Mm." he swallowed, eyes watering. "Salty." 

Tahl stuck her little finger into the soup, which now had an almost jelly-like consistency, and tried it. She spit it out directly. 

"Perhaps just a bit salty." 

She handed him the canteen, which he took gratefully. Qui-Gon supposed he was hungry a little, but not so much hungry as desperately thirsty. He hadn't had sufficient water for more than two weeks, and his body pleaded for the pure substance more than anything. He closed his eyes, drinking deeply. He had taken water for granted all his life. Splashing a little on his fingers, he wiped at his stinging eyes, which were puffy and red from crying. The water soothed them. 

Tahl smiled at her friends muddy, streaked face. "In need of a bath?" 

He grinned back good-naturedley . "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He wiped his cheek and the clean spot seemed almost out of place. "Eh, a little grime never killed anyone." 

"A little?" She laughed. 

He wrinkled his nose at her. "You're one to talk." 

Tahl looked down at her tunic, which was wrinkled, torn and dusty, stained with her friend's blood. She snorted. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?" 

Qui-Gon leaned back. "Tahl, you're beautiful. I'm so glad to see you here. So glad you came." his voice grew distant.

The girl looked down. "Of course I came." She mumbled, tweaking his braid affectionately. "...couldn't just leave you." 

They were silent a moment. Then Qui-Gon perked up.

"Are you going to finish that soup?"

Tahl grinned. 

TBC…(come on, hang with me, I'm working on part 10! ^_^ Oh, and while I'm talking to you all, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to you wonderful people who have reviewed! It's really an encouragement, and it keeps me posting! Thank you!) 


	10. Morning

Morning sunlight filtered through the canopy, lighting the forest with the ethereal glow of dawn. The rain had passed during the night leaving the air with a fresh taste as it can be only after a storm. A soft breeze had just stirred up. 

It sang through the leaves and over the dirt, finally fluttering in the boy's eyelashes. He stirred, one gray-blue eye opening. Qui-Gon lay there for a moment, in a dazed warm bliss. Then he sat up quickly. The sun dazzled his vision for a moment. "Perfect," he whispered, a small smile finding his lips. 

He pulled himself into a standing position, wavering unsteadily for a moment before he caught his balance. It had been a few days since he had stood and his legs felt a little weak. But that was why he had to do this. He drank some water and stuffed a ration biscuit into his pocket. Then ever so quietly he turned to Tahl. 

His friend was sleeping peaceful amid a pile of blankets. Her face was blank, radiating quiet contention. She needed sleep, Qui-Gon thought. So much of her energy was spent watching after her accident-prone friend. No need to bother her. He crouched down and brushed her forehead with a quick kiss. Then turned toward the forest. 

His first few steps were stumbling, but he quickly gained strength and fell into his usual easy step. About 20 yards from the campsite he paused, fishing in his pocket for the biscuit. Whistling happily, he brushed the lint off it and took a bite. He looked up and choked. 

"MMFF!" 

Tahl was standing about two paces from him, her arms crossed over her chest looking distinctly not-amused. Her eyebrow cocked questioningly at him.

"Um...Good morning?" he smiled hopefully at her disapproving expression. 

"Going off for a little stroll are you?" She asked sarcastically. 

Qui-Gon didn't catch it. "I thought I might..." he replied, swinging his arms experimentally.

She shook her head. "Good idea, wander off into a strange forest alone, injured and without telling anyone-oh, and maybe you can even meet some nice Muh-Hadden search parties too!" 

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid. I'm just going for a walk."

"Right. It's not safe Qui-Gon. I'm only looking out for you." 

"Tahl, I can handle this. I'm eighteen!" 

"Seventeen." 

"Eighteen soon! And a Jedi!"

"...Padawan who's injured."

"And getting better. *Please* don't argue with me about this. I haven't had two moments of freedom in almost three weeks! I just want to feel normal again." 

Tahl looked torn. On one hand she understood that he wanted solitude, and she couldn't blame him, but yet on the other side a fierce protectiveness didn't want to let him out of her sight. A voice incessantly whispered to her: 'they hurt him, they hurt him and they'd do it again.' The fear she could not shake. Tahl sighed. "Don't be gone too long." She flicked a nervous glance toward the direction they had come. "And please, do be careful!" 

He bowed. "I will, Master." He handed her the half-eaten biscuit. "Here. Have some breakfast, I'll be back soon.." With that, and a impudent grin, he disappeared into the tree's. Tahl shook her head and walked back to camp. 

Qui-Gon strode through the forest, his bare feet treading against the mossy ground in not an entirely unpleasant way. The breeze danced on his face, and the sun warmed him. He broke into an easy jog. The boy felt his pace quicken. Then, with one last apologetic glance toward camp, he threw himself forward into a full tilt run. He shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, feet pounding the ground, blood thrumming in his veins. His soul sang like a bird freed from a cage and he flew for the sheer speed of it. Darting here and there, over logs and stumps; feeling gloriously alive! He ran and ran until he finally flopped over on a mossy bank of a stream, panting and laughing. Anyone watching would have thought the young Jedi mad, but he was too happy to hold in his merriment. 

Qui-Gon rolled over on his back, pausing to catch his breath. The glittering creek caught his eye, and he picked himself up to check it out. The bank was steep, so he had to be careful. He inched down and crouched by the water's edge. 

For a moment, he was startled as he peered into the clear water...by his appearance. His face was bloody and bruised, his bare chest was tanned with dirt. Qui-Gon leaned closer. He looked like he had died and come back again. "Small wonder Tahl thinks I'm going to break." he whispered to the scarred, thin boy reflected in the water. He squinted and shifted closer. 

Suddenly the mud he had crouched on began to slide. He pitched forward, tumbling off the bank and into the stream with a splash. The cold water drove the breath from him in a ragged gasp. It was only about knee-deep where he had fallen, but he was still soaked. He floundered around a moment and then began to laugh. * I do need a bath.* he thought to himself, amused. He relaxed as his body adjusted to the temperature, scrubbing at his grimy body. Throwing caution aside like a dirty rag, he gave himself over to the deep pool of cold water.

***

Tahl was almost about to go looking for him when Qui-Gon strode into camp, drenched to the bone. He sank down next to the fire, and shook his hair like a dog, spraying water everywhere. 

"He's both clean *and* polite." Tahl said, her tone the only dry part of her. Qui-Gon smiled as charmingly as he could with his face stuffed with a ration bar. 

"Did you find the stream, then?" Qui-Gon didn't respond; his mouth was full. She grinned at her hungry friend. 

Qui-Gon swallowed. "It's beautiful." His voice was a soft murmur but Tahl heard the words clearly. He paused, looking up at the majestic canopy, his eyes dreamy. "And I love these trees." He smiled. 

Tahl shook her head fondly at him, still grinning. She felt the living force stir in the young Jedi. Although Tahl favored it herself, she was not as strong as he in that particular part of the force. It did not bother her; it was simply his gift. She had come to know that trees would whisper things to Qui-Gon that she would never understand. 

Tahl turned her eyes to the forest of green. "Yes." she whispered. "They are lovely." 

He stretched out his shoulders as gently as possible; wincing. "I didn't expect to ever see them." a shadow crossed his open face, as if suddenly remembering something. "I thought I'd be dead." he muttered, his face twisting into a bitter grimace.

Tahl blushed, wanting to distract him but not knowing how. "Anyway, so, I've messed with the soup more, you want some?" 

"No thank you." he mumbled, drawing his knees up to his chin. A silence stretched between them and lasted for a few moments. Qui-Gon stared into nothing, looking like he was thinking hard on something.

Tahl heaved a sigh and tried again. "I put some roots and things into it-it should mellow out the salt..." 

"I'm not really hungry." His eyes didn't leave the flickering dancing fire, the tongues of the blaze reflecting in their blue depths. 

"You've got to be. Come on, eat something more, you've got to get up your strength." she tossed the pack at him. "There's stuff in that if you don't want soup."

He wordlessly dug around until he found another ration bar. Tahl watched him warily, trying to gauge his mood. Her gaze fell on his hand, which he was starting to use again, albeit gingerly.

"How's your hand?" she queried, stirring the soup. 

"Better." he muttered. 

She dropped the spoon with a clatter that made him jump. "What's wrong with you!" 

"Noth-"

"I'm serious, you were fine and now you aren't...did I miss something?!" 

He met her gaze, his eyes bright. The wasn't anger in his gaze, no something more, a hurt he had been hiding, a wound he had disguised. There was something he hadn't told her. Tahl was sure of it. A moment passed and he confirmed it.

"Where's Master Dooku?" Qui-Gon asked bluntly, not an ounce of regret or hesitation in his voice. It was as if he had been dying to ask her for some time and had finally plucked up the courage. 

Tahl stared back, her green eyes wide and eloquent in surprise. "What?"

"Where's my Master?"he asked again, tilting his head to the side. "Why didn't he come for me? Why couldn't I sense him?" A horrible thought dawned on the padawan. "Is he...please Tahl, has something happened to him?" 

She stared at Qui-Gon, speechless. She had no idea what to tell him. *How about the truth?* a nasty little voice whispered to her. *I don't want to hurt him.* Tahl didn't move a muscle as the two sides in her head battled. *But is it your fault his Master didn't care to come?* 

"He's fine." she finally forced out, blushing. Qui-Gon looked like he very much wanted to cry with relief, but did not let his gaze leave her. "He's back on Coruscant. See, no one came because...well.." she swallowed. "You're dead."

"What?!" Qui-Gon gasped, blanching. "No I'm not!" 

"Well-*I* know you're not dead of course, but, to the rest of the galaxy...well...you're dead."

Her friends voice grew bitter. "Oh. And is this a educated guess then, an assumption? Haven't seen Qui-Gon in a bit-oh, he's probably dead! How in-"

She placed a hand over his mouth. "I know it's difficult. But Dooku received some transmission...it's a complicated story. I...overheard some things I wasn't supposed to. I'm not sure if everyone knows yet, but Dooku seemed to think so, and I know he was going to the Council. I was..." her voice broke, but she recovered smoothly. "...in denial, I suppose. So I came to well...to find your body." Her voice was little more then a whisper, quiet and sad.

"The Council didn't even send...to be sure?" Qui-Gon rested his chin on his knees, body posture relaying his hurt. Suddenly he felt very, very small, insignificant...

Tahl shook her head. "No. I came on my own." she hesitated, seemingly unsure of whether or not to go on. "I...I'm not supposed to be here. No one knows where I am. I sort of...borrowed a transport...and didn't...tell...my master." she swallowed, tears forming behind her bright eyes.

Qui-Gon stared at her. "You..."

"No. I'm not part of a rescue effort." she sniffed. "I just came... I...couldn't accept it....that you were...so I came to find you."

"You...came alone..." he whispered blankly, his eyes blurring with tears he was too proud to let fall.

"Yes." she breathed, steadying herself. "Now don't be like that." Her fingers brushed his cheek , but he seemed numb to her touch. "Dooku was destroyed, Qui-Gon. He wouldn't have been able to launch a recovery effort in that state."

"But why then-"

"There's a lot of things I don't understand either, but this is not the time to ponder them. We can worry about Dooku later." The girl hardened her voice a notch, and stuck out her chin like she did when she was certain of getting her way. "Right now, *you* need to heal and get back your strength." she poked his chest with emphasis on the last word. 

He stared down at the finger somewhat surprised. "I...I..." he blushed. "I *am* feeling better." he finished.

"Really?" 

"Well-" She noticed he was covering his hand. "Yes."

"Could I look at your hand, please?" Tahl asked, watching his eyes. She felt him stiffen as she took his hand in her own. The girl paid him no heed, staring down at the seemingly tiny wound. She was very concerned about infection, especially out in hiding with inadequate medical supplies. It looked to be fine, but even so she plastered it with the salve they had. Qui-Gon winced as she touched it. Tahl quieted him with a soft brush of the force. She didn't want him to be in pain, but wasn't about to take any chances with infection. 

"So sore." he whispered, easing the injured hand out of Tahl's grasp. "But I can move it again."

"Somehow it seems that it didn't do much damage to the bones." she observed. "You're increadibley fortunate. It only pierced the flesh."

"Ow."

"I know, but better in the long run."

"In the long run..." he mused sadly. "But it's painful now."

"I know it is. You just need to rest-"

"Rest? Can't. The time I spent there...haunts me. I don't want to sleep, because I'm afraid to dream." 

"You're afraid to sleep?" Tahl stopped, her eyes shining with pity for him. 

"Yes. It always hurts." his voice was very small. "There is no rest..." 

Tahl felt her heart twist. "I-I..." she fumbled for words of reassurance.

To her great surprise, Qui-Gon sighed heavily and lay his head on her shoulder. "But I feel safe when I'm awake-with you. I'm glad you're with me." he said quietly. 

Tahl was some what startled by his statement, but she did not show it. Instead she gently stirred the force around her friend, soothing him. He deserved a break. "Let me help you." She reaching out with her mind.

The day had worn him out; he accepted her gift gratefully. His eyes drifted lazily to half-mast, the force gently lulling him into drowsy bliss. He was so tired all the sudden...so warm. 

"Thank you...Tahl..." he mumbled closing his eyes in surrender to the force-suggestion. Qui-Gon knew the trick, but was all too glad to rest his troubled mind. He was asleep before he could finish his sentence.

Tahl smiled at the unconscious boy. He needed to relax and let his body catch up with him. As much as she disliked putting people out with the force he needed the respite. "Just sleep…" she breathed to him. 

Qui-Gon submitted, melting against her in complete contentment. Tahl smiled at his blissful state, tracing a finger across his cheek. There was something like innocence in his expression, and she marveled that he could still portray a shadow of that after what had been done. The bruises on his face could still be clearly seen. They would fade in a few days, but the ones on his spirit would take longer. Tahl wished with every fiber of her soul that she could be sure that his tears would not turn into scars. 

She hesitated a moment, then placed her fingers over a particularly dark bruise on his face. With determination, she focused the force of the discolored spot, concentrating on healing. Her gold-streaked eyes closed...

There was a flash and immediately a wave of hate, fear and horror washed over the girl. Tahl felt if she were spinning in darkness and then... "That will keep him awake." A blow that snapped her friends head back. Pain, vibrant and writhing with its ceaseless torment. Helpless fear. Confusion. She had a glimpse of a darkened cell before the picture blinked away, to leave her gasping and rubbing her eyes. 

*A memory...?*

Qui-Gon stirred in his sleep, murmuring something. Tahl was so startled by the strange flashback that she hardly noticed his movements. Apparently through her mental probing she had tapped into one of his memories...one of his dreams.

*This is your nightmare?*

She whispered words of comfort that he could not hear, but that stilled his movements anyway. 

*But it is also your reality. It will become your future, past and present.*

Qui-Gon looked so young, while he was sleeping. His face was innocence, all smooth and boyish. Eyelashes, dark against his pale skin, like strokes of ink. His lips were curved as if enjoying his own private joke in a dream. And yet-at the same time-when his eyes were open they were not so innocent.

*It won't be the last time, if you survive this. There will be other trials. Fate will toss you around like a ship caught in a gale. Like a kite, blowing out of control on the breeze. I see it.*

Tahl raised her eyes to the sun, which, barely visible through the canopy, was bleeding crimson, dying to twilight. Where had the day gone? Perhaps she had been sitting here for longer than she imagined. Dusk was falling.

*But you're strong, Qui-Gon.*

She stopped moving, eyes locking on his face. He was sleeping deeply, safe from the demons that haunted him while she was watching. For now, all was well. Tahl knew she should savor it. Her eyes drifted closed, and she joined her friend in sleep...


	11. Fears and Fire

__

The red painted sky of Coruscant reflected in Yan Dooku's eyes. "It was a horrible mistake." His silken voice trembled, as he stared down in the unlit pyre, and the thin body lying there. The room was empty except for the two bodies, one frozen motionless and dead, the other wishing to be. 

"I didn't mean for it to be like this." Good-byes were never sweet, but this one was agony. The Jedi Master moved to fetch the torch that would carry his apprentice off to the world of the eternal.

All was not right though. The body on the pyre flinched. Qui-Gon wasn't dead. 

He was terrified. His master was slowly walking towards the torch on the wall. Qui-Gon tried to cry out, tried to scream to stop him, to tell him...but his throat felt too raw to choke out words. His eyes were open but he couldn't blink, the strange paralysis holding him tighter than a Wookie's embrace. 

Dooku lowered the torch to the pyre and Qui-Gon yelled into the force with all his might, but his voice could not be heard. Instantly he felt flames creeping under him, beginning to consume him with their angry red tongues. They lapped at his flesh, like hungry creatures until all around him was inferno. It seemed he was breathing the fire itself; his chest burned with each sobbing gasp. 

__

Silent screams vibrated in his throat as he felt his hand scorch. The cruel irony was wrenching inside...or had the fire reached there too? Dooku's grief-drenched eyes were on him and he wished he could cry to him. But the only sound around him was the spitting, crackling fire. Oh, his hand!

He pulled it away with a yelp as time and reality returned. Somehow, he must have thrown his hand a little too close to the fire as he dreamed. Instinctively his burnt finger went to his mouth, and he sucked them ruefully as he re-established his surroundings. Childor? He was still on Childor. He was in the forest. It was morning. Tahl was gone. 

He pulled his fingers out of his mouth, feeling childish. They weren't badly burned, only slightly scorched. The boy clicked his tongue, disapprovingly. *Scared of the nightmare, were you Jinn? Some Jedi.* He rolled onto his stomach with a wince. His shoulders hurt. Everything felt sore, pulled out of place. And he couldn't sleep without some haunting ghost of the darkness he had felt in the cells. Some twisted torture carried on even still after he was out. For Conn, Qui-Gon was learning, painfully, meant to make him sore for a *long* time after the wounds healed. 

Coughing was agony with his sore chest, so he took a few sips of water to ease his throat, before sitting up. He was really beginning to feel better despite the ache. Instead of feeling maddeningly weak, Qui-Gon felt his body mending, his strength slowly returning. Simply being around the valiant standing, beautiful tree's was healing him better than the scanty medical attention. He needed the air, the freedom after the scarring stuffy prison that had been his hell. Had he gone to a hospital, with its bland sterile rooms, he would have surely lost his sanity. He needed *this.* 

Qui-Gon had a nice fire going by the time Tahl returned. He glanced up at her, slightly irritated that she hadn't told him where she was going before leaving. His tone reflected that. 

"Where have you been?" 

Tahl's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright with a smile. "Places." 

He leaned close, smiling, irritation dropped as he sensed her excitement. "What sort of places?"

"Upstream." she said, helping herself to an energy bar. "Mm-" Tahl paused, chewing. "Beautiful little pool up there. Fish, and stuff..it's really lovely."

"Ooh-Tahl! Can we-" He stopped speaking abruptly, the expression on his face suddenly alarmed. He raised a finger to his lips and listened intently for a few moments. His eyes scanned the trees around him uneasily. Finally he turned and whispered to Tahl. "Can you feel it?" 

Tahl, too, paused. Immediately she knew that all as not right. The constant chatter of the native birds was gone. The forest was empty and eerily silent as if it's inhabitants knew something the Jedi didn't. Then she felt it, a soft ripple of a disturbance, like a chill breeze across her face. 

Seconds passed and a noise like thunder crashed from a distance. The whirring noise echoed through the woods. Next came the far off shrieks of the birds as they took flight from their perches. The ground beneath the two rumbled slightly, as the noise got louder and louder. Then it receded back down to a hum, as if it were moving farther away.

Finally, quiet.

Qui-Gon's eyes were wide with a terror Tahl had never seen in him. She heard his breathing quicken, and see tremors flit across his shoulders. His voice was very small when he finally found it. "W-what...was...that?" 

"I don't. -" 

Qui-Gon leapt to his feet and took off running. Tahl stared after him for a moment, stunned. Then she too, threw herself to her feet. 

"Qui-Gon!" she yelled, leaping after him. She had always been faster than he had, and he was still pretty weak from the ordeal. She would catch up soon. Unfortunately, Qui-Gon had other intentions. 

He had only gone about 20 yards when he skidded to a stop and bolted up a tree. Tahl stared. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this. The girl paused under the massive tree, squinting up at her friend. He was shinnying up quite quickly for someone still healing; his feet seemed to find the right holds naturally. It had to be almost impossible to hang on with his hand wounded as it was, but her friend was almost halfway up. 

"Qui-Gon!" she called again. "What in sith hell are you doing?!" Either he couldn't hear her or he was ignoring her. Probably the latter. "Get down here this instant!" Tahl was all but screaming by now. Fear choked her. One slip and he was dead! What did he think he was doing?! She craned her neck to see, but he had disappeared into the thick canopy. A few moments passed and she looked frantically around at the branches. 

Very slowly a leaf drifted down through the still air. Tahl watched it as it danced downward, spiraling elegantly and twisting on its way. It floated, then came to a rest at her feet. She stared at it for a long moment. 

"I saw it."

Qui-Gon's voice nearly made her heart stop. Tahl closed her eyes and turned toward the sound. "Qui-Gon Jinn. I'm going to kill you." Apparently he had climbed partially down, and then taken the last descent as a free-fall, landing noiselessly beside her. 

"It's small ship, fighter, by the looks of it." He blew out a breath, releasing his fear. "Definitely not friendly. It was skimming the trees, Tahl. Any idiot knows not to fly that low. It was looking for something. Or, shall we say, someone." 

"That was probably the stupidest stunt you've pulled to date." 

"They know we're here!" 

"It was totally reckless!" 

"Would you let it go? I knew what I was doing!"

"It was dangerous and stupid."

Qui-Gon's eyes flashed. "What-are you my master now? Did you not just hear me?! I said I knew what I was doing!!"

"What if you had fallen?"

"I wasn't going to fall. I'm a Jedi too, remember?!"

"You're not all healed Qui-Gon, are you * forgetting * a couple days ago you almost died?"

"Only wishing I could!!!" he snapped back, turning away. 

Her striped eyes widened slightly and welled with tears. She took a tiny step backward, faltering. 

Qui-Gon sat down on the huge tree root, his back to Tahl, his arms crossed angrily across his chest. Silence stretched between them. The girl stared at his back, at the ugly scars. The image blurred. His angry words echoed in her ears. She hadn't...meant... Tahl's eyes stung and she felt as if her throat were filled with fabric. 

"Qui-Go-" she began, but her voice cracked. Tahl gave it up, and tried to even her breathing. She heard him sigh. 

Very slowly, Qui-Gon stood, drawing himself up to his full height, a stance she hadn't seen in a long time. He took a few steps toward her, and then stopped, towering over her with his

full presence. He suddenly looked very imposing, very...strong. He stared down at her, his hair falling across his forehead as he angled down. His hands found hers. 

Tahl looked up, a tear falling across her face. Her friend seemed taller than she had known before, but still, Qui-Gon was very close. Ever so slightly, she could feel the soft flutter of his breathing stir in her hair. His hands moved up from her own, to caress across her cheek, his fingers tracing the tear. 

His voice was a whisper. "Please don't cry..." 

Tahl ducked, avoiding his eyes, and gave a small choked sound. Before she knew what she was doing, she was leaning into him, resting her head against his chest. Her arms carefully threaded around his back, pulling her friend closer. 

"What is it?" Qui-Gon breathed into her hair, hugging her back. 

"I don't know anymore, Qui..." Tahl confessed, her voice muffled as she held onto him tightly. 

"Mm...?" She hadn't called him Qui since they'd been ten. "What don't you know?"

"You." she breathed. He felt the warm moisture on his chest. "I don't know how to handle things anymore. I don't know what will hurt you. I don't know how to help you. You're so different." Her voice suddenly angry. "Why did they make you different?!" 

Qui-Gon was taken aback by her bluntness. He didn't have the vaguest idea of what to say. So he just held her. 

"Sorry." she whispered. 

"Why?" He looked down at her, puzzled. 

Tahl shrugged. "I don't know..."

Qui-Gon looked down at her, his almond shaped eyes flickering. "I'm sorry too." he breathed, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry too..." 

__

In summer I can taste the salt in the sea,

There's a kite blowing out of control on the breeze,

I wonder what's going to happen to you

You wonder what has happened to me __ ****

Thanks to all you readers for sticking with me! I know this part took a bit longer to get out, and I apologize for the delay… anyway, you know what Qui needs now, don't you? A BIG CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE! Stay tuned to see if he gets it… ^_^


	12. The Beautiful Death

****

Hello again faithful readers…Well, Qui needed a nice chocolate chip cookie, but all he got was a lighter part. ^_^ I hope you enjoy this, I had a great deal of fun writing this particular bit. A slight plunk of disheartened writers block has set in for the next part I'm writing, but part 13 should be up soon enough…thank you reviewers for all your support…you guys are super! ^_^

"There's no way of confusing it! I've spent three weeks on this planet, I think I'd recognize one of their ships!" Qui-Gon stated adamantly, giving the fire one last douse with a handful of dirt.

Tahl looked up from rolling the blanket they'd been sleeping on. "I'm not arguing with you, Qui-Gon, it's just..." she looked sad a moment. "...I wish it was one of ours..." 

"Well, if wishes were anything, I would have gotten off this planet the second I'd been captured!" At the look she gave him, he smiled. "Oh come on! It will be an adventure..."

"What!? Didn't you have enough of it earlier, when you got captured? Or when I rescued you? Or the part where you almost died?" Tahl shook her head. "What sounds good to me is to 'adventure' on home, 'adventure' into a nice hot shower, and sleep in my own 'adventurous' soft bed-"

"Unfortunately we have no means of getting home, so I suggest you quit whining and come along. If the Muh-Hadden know we're here, it's best we keep moving." He swung her pack over one shoulder, winced, and shifted it. 

Tahl laughed and took it from him. "Straps and sore shoulders don't mix well, Qui-Gon. Here, you carry this!" She dumped her armload of blankets on him. 

Qui-Gon began folding them. "You really did a terrible job rolling these...no wonder they won't fit in the pack." he mumbled, looking up. "Tahl?" She had started out into the woods. "Hey! Wait for me!" he jogged after her. 

"Calm down, I'm not going anywhere yet.. Do you remember where I parked the swoop? We should really hide it before we break camp..." 

"What swoop?" His eyes were curious, as he watched her scanning the thick bramble.

"You know, like a speeder, but a little faster?"

"We had a swoop?" 

Tahl turned and stared, incredulously. "You don't remember what happened, do you?"

Qui-Gon blinked. "Um...when?" 

"When I got you out-remember, Li let me take a speeder-type thing, and then..."

"Li?" 

The Muh-Hadden, stop being stupid." Tahl rolled her eyes. 

"I'm not!" His eyebrows came together in a concerned line. "I think I was unconscious. All I remember is you showing up in the cell and then waking up here with you asking me how I felt." 

Tahl shook her head. "But you were awake...and talking too. Anyway-it doesn't matter...we came in a swoop! And it was here and now it's not!"

"Tahl-" Qui-Gon's voice was quiet.

"I mean, where could it have gone? I left it in the open!" She ranted on, ignoring him. 

"Tahl!" He said, with a little more force this time. 

"Oh! Do you think someone was here while we were sleeping?" she whirled and gestured at the ground. "Or maybe-"

"HEY!" he yelled, startling her. 

She turned, an irritated look on her face. "What? Qui-Gon I'm trying to think-" Tahl waved him off. 

His face going slightly dark, Qui-Gon stomped over to her. "Look." He pointed to a thick tangle of vines and thorns. "Stop talking and *look.* Is that your swoop?" 

Tahl followed his finger. At first, nothing met her eyes but a snare of green. Then, slowly, horribly, she realized what had caught his attention. Wrapped up in the vines, surrounded by green, was a hunk of crushed metal. It was as if the life around the swoop had over taken it, and utterly destroyed the foreign object. Tahl stumbled backward, knocking into her friend. "What-"

"The sacred forest." Qui-Gon breathed. He closed his eyes, and swore passionately. "Or Elii Mwet." The alien words sounded strange on the boys softly accented voice. 

Tahl stared at him. "Qui-Gon..." she whispered. "What does that mean in Basic?"

"I'm so stupid." he swallowed. "I didn't...think...didn't stop for one moment and wonder why they didn't follow us in here..." 

"What does Elii Mwet mean?!" 

"We're done for this time-"

"Qui-Gon-"

He sighed. "Elii Mwet? It's what the Philomel call the forest." He swallowed. "Beautiful Death."

Tahl stared transfixed at the crumpled swoop. "Stupid Li. 'Go into the forest, Tahl, you'll be safe there!'" 

Qui-Gon pulled her away from where the remains of the swoop. "Listen, we need to go, *now.* This is not a nice forest. It's considered holy by the Philomel. I only read a little about it before the mission-but enough to know we're going to be both dead if we're not careful." he broke off, shaking his head.

Tahl shivered. "But where can we go?" 

"Well, let's follow the stream. We can't go wrong there. It widens upstream nearer to it's source, and the Philomel get their water from it. If we follow it, eventually we should find the village. And they're sure to have transports." 

The girl let out a shaky breath. "Then let's get going."

They started off, heading toward the stream. An uneasy silence hung between them. They walked through the thick trees for several minutes, both thinking. Tahl, however, couldn't keep quiet for long. 

"Qui-Gon!" she blurted out. "So what's so...terrible about this place?" 

Her friend ducked under a low branch as he spoke, nonchalantly. "Well, mostly the plants. They've been growing here so long, and they're very wild. Some are carnivorous, some have toxins...you know, things like that..." He paused to caress a creamy white trunk, fondly, as if it were an old friend. "I'd suppose the trees are alright, though." 

Tahl laughed, and the soft sound blended with the mirth of the birds. "You would." She caught the branch he swung into her, and ducked under it in turn. "So anything else to worry about beside homicidal plants?" 

"That's just the beginning. There are creatures...big predator type animals...there are tribes deeper in, and..."he paused and colored. "Spirits...you know." 

"Spirits?!" Tahl gasped, trying hard not to burst out screaming with laughter at the severity of his tone. "Qui-Gon, what in sith are you off about now?"

Qui-Gon frowned. "I'm not going 'off' about anything...The Philomel say there are spirits in here...and I saw a Shadow-creature in the cells! If one of those is around, anything could-"

"A shadow?" Tahl raised her eyebrows skeptically. "They're very rare, Qui-Gon. But I trust you." She turned back toward the stream. "Well, then. Let's hope we don't encounter anything!" she added with a grin. 

~*~

The forest was quiet and heavy with the midday heat. It seemed even the birds had ceased their incessant chattering, the sticky air stifling their voices. Tahl could hear Qui-Gon panting, as she paused to wipe sweat out of her eyes. Her friend had been practically dragging her at first but now that they had been following the stream for hours he had lagged behind. She sighed, and turned around to look at him.

His cheeks were flushed quite pink. She reminded herself that Qui-Gon shouldn't really be doing anything but recovering, this little hike wasn't helping. "Let's take a rest." She suggested, stopping him with a hand. 

His gray-blue eyes were weary. "Tahl, we shouldn't. The Muh-Hadden-" 

"The Muh-Hadden will all die of heat stroke if they try to come after us. Besides, we're far enough in...now sit down before you faint or something..." She sat down and patted the mossy ground next to her. 

Qui-Gon hesitated a moment, but then flopped down beside her. The ground was no less humid and steamy as when he had been standing, though. He sat for a moment, feeling itchy, restless and miserable. "Too...hot..."

"So go dunk your head in the creek." Tahl laughed, fanning herself. The sound died on her lips as the boy suddenly stood. "Hey-where are you-"

"Come on!" he whispered, eyes sparkling with mischief. He held out a hand to her, grinning. 

"Qui-Gon, I was joking-" 

"I certainly am not!" 

Before she could reply, he gave her a wink and in a split second was hurtling toward the stream. Tahl stood, staring amazed as he dived into one of the deep pools, and disappeared into the crystal water. She watched the ripples anxiously. "Qui-" 

Qui-Gon popped up out of the pool to laugh at her, treading water as he called, "Come on, Tahl, the water feels wonderful!" 

Tahl raised an eyebrow at him. He just grinned at her, almost daring her to try it. She kicked off her boots and tested the water with one bare foot. "Sith! Qui-Gon it's like ice!" 

"I know!" he called brightly. 

Tahl shook her head. "It's a bit to cold for me-I don't want to get wet-" she began, but paused, narrowing her eyes as her friend started swimming towards her. "What are-Qui-Gon, *no!* Don't even-"

He caught her flailing foot, laughing. "Come onnnnnnn Tahl!" 

"This is my only tunic-you stoppit right now if you know what's good for you Qui-Gon Ji-NO! You do and I'll KILL you, you think I won't hit you because your hurt you're so wron-EEEEEEEEEE!" she shrieked as Qui-Gon gave her foot a little yank and she toppled in. 

The icy water drove the breath from her as she plummeted down into it. Her world was now one of deep blues and greens, and reflected light from the surface. Tahl spiraled down, farther and farther away from the light until she felt her bare foot touch the soft bottom. Bubbles danced above her, trailing after her body.

Qui-Gon was right. It was wonderful.

Tahl kicked off, rocketing to the surface again. 

Her head broke the surface with a tiny splash. She treaded water for a few moments, regaining her breath. Then her green eyes found Qui-Gon's blue ones, narrowing. 

His mouth was slightly open, as if he were silently laughing, and his eyes danced. "Nice, huh?" 

In answer, she lunged at him, and both went down, back underwater. Qui-Gon popped back up, laughing, and splashed away from her. She was faster though, and in a few seconds she had hold of his foot.

"That's it-I'm going to drown you!" she shrieked, pulling him down with her.

"Catch me first-" He struggled to the bank and hauled himself up, kicking away from her and sputtering. Once Qui-Gon had caught hold of the firm ground he was able to wiggle up out of the water, and essentially out of her reach. "Ha!"

He laughed too soon. Tahl threw herself out of the water at him, hitting her friend in the mid-drift and pinning him. She wrestled his arms away, getting him restrained, and then practically sat on him until he ceased struggling. Finally Qui-Gon gave up, panting, and apparently trying hard not to laugh.

"Solah." he gasped, nodding his head in mimicry of the ceremonial bow Jedi Master's performed after dueling. "Now...please get off, before you crush my rib cage." 

Tahl's face darkened slightly, and she tightened her hold on his wrists. "No. You pulled me in, you've got to be punished." 

Qui-Gon laughed as best he could with Tahl sitting on his chest. "Oh no. What are you going to do?"

"Hmm. I could give you back to the Muh-Hadden..." Tahl shifted her weight a little, but kept her eyes on his.

"That's wouldn't be a very nice thing to do..." Qui-Gon breathed, wiggling a bit. 

"Well it wasn't very nice thing to pull me in." she smiled, mischievously. "But no, I couldn't, I like you too much." 

He winked at her. "Reassuring." 

"How about I knot your padawan braid?" 

"You'd have to move your arms off mine to knot it, and then I'd push you back into the water and run." he observed nonchalantly. 

Her eyebrows narrowed. "Oh, would you? Huh. Well there goes that...I could push *you* into the stream..."

"I'm already soaking wet!" he attempted a shrug. 

"This revenge business is too hard..." she quirked another smile. "I suppose we'll just have to make up!" Tahl put on her most superior look. "Now..." She cleared her throat. "Are going to say you're sorry?"

"Are you going to stop crushing my chest in?" Qui-Gon shot back, a small, reckless sort of grin in his face. 

"What?!" Tahl choked indignantly. She went for the braid at the same moment that he made a lunge for freedom. 

A small struggle ensued on the bank, as Qui-Gon tried to squirm out of her clutches. They rolled back and forth a bit, Qui-Gon gaining some mobility, and Tahl in turn thoroughly knotting his braid. They wrestled a few moments before both went tumbling into the cold water with a splash. 

Both emerged laughing and sputtering. It was so easy to just be playing in the water, kicking and diving and generally enjoying life with your best friend. It had been a long time since they had anything to laugh about. 


	13. A Combination of Dark and Small Spaces

****

Hello wonderful reader people. I know this comes as a shock to you, but I'm still alive. Has it been a month? Heh heh. Sorry! A bit of writers block, plus a bit of personal problems. But, I promised Lay'ren (who is responsible in part for the delay, keeping me up on MSN chatting all night when I should be writing! :P) a really good update. I hope this fits, I worked really hard on it… (I mean, I'm seeing little kite's spinning around in my head every time I close my eyes…) Alright. I'm done rambling. Oh, and a quick thank you to Roo, for beta-ing this part, and doing it so quickly so I could get this part out! She rules! ^_^

*

The stream widened more in a pool above them, and two huge rocks met in the center of the water, like twin stone giants. Qui-Gon ducked underwater and paddled toward them, managing to scramble up on one of them to survey the creek. 

He stretched out on the sun-warmed rock happily, an expression of utter contention on his boyish face. His damp hair stirred slightly in the gentle breeze as he settled down. The rock felt gloriously good against his back, and the sun dried his soaking body with its soft kisses of light. Sighing blissfully, Qui-Gon drank in the beauty of the day through half-closed eyes. 

His silence was broken by Tahl hauling herself up on the rock and plopping down next to him, dripping wet. "You look happy." she observed with a laugh, wringing out her hair. "Had enough of the water then?"

"Mm." He rolled over on his stomach, letting the rays caress his back. Tahl flicked water at him, with a smile.

"You're going to get burnt, you know. Then you'll really be miserable." 

"Proper little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" He turned to face her, a hand self-consciously going to his healing shoulders. "I don't care. It feels so nice to be warm." 

Tahl plucked at her soggy tunic, trying to wring it out but with little success. "Nice, hm? Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you, my friend." She gave up on the struggle with her tunic and flopped down next to Qui-Gon to let the sun dry her. "I suppose we might as well suffer together, hm?" 

Qui-Gon gave a soft laugh. "As always." She didn't answer, sighing as the comfortable warmth enticed her as well. 

Qui-Gon closed his eyes, and let the warm sunlight do it's work. Tahl, however, kept her eyes open, watching him. It suddenly struck her how different he looked now. It was as if spring had come to the scarred, weary lands, bringing back the life that had lain covered by the snows of winter. The ice in his eyes had melted away, bringing them back to the placid grey-blue she had known before. Time and healing had massaged away the knots in his shoulders and he didn't hold himself as painfully stiff as before. His face was more open, less bruised and now healthy color flushed his cheeks. Qui-Gon was slowly unfolding, it seemed, unraveling all the tangles that he'd built up in his imprisonment. He still bore scars; and he might never leave all of the ghosts of the Muh-Hadden on Childor, but it was good to see him laughing again.

She had scarcely closed her own eyes before Qui-Gon was up again, digging in the pack. She sat up and watched him pull out a piece of fruit with vague amusement. He stretched his mouth over it, biting down at the same moment he locked Tahl's eyes. 

"Wha?" he questioned, his mouth full. 

She shook her head, then stretched cat-like with a smile. "Just you." 

They spent the few remaining hours of day doing blissfully nothing. Tomorrow, there had another long leg of journey to travel.

~*~

The sun set in bloody magnificence, like a sobbing heart of crimson behind the sharp mountain ridges. The light weakened with the dying sun, pulling farther and farther away from the prison, and lengthening the shadows behind the building. The bleeding sky reflected in Conns' expressionless eyes. 

He turned to the darkening forest, and his insides wrenched with anger. The image of the trees filled him with rage and frustration. They hid his prey. And no one, ever, *ever,* escaped Conn's fury. He had watched victim break to his will, and then had crushed each one of them like insects. 

Except now. How he wished he had beaten that foolish little boy until his defiant heart ceased it's struggle, how he agonized about not killing him then! Perhaps things at the prison would have worked out differently, if he had. The half-grown Jedi runt was bad luck. An intruder, an escape and an uprising. It couldn't be coincidence. He hoped wherever the wretch was now he was hurting. 

"Councilor Conn?" A trembling voice broke his vengeful thoughts. 

Conn did not turn. "What word does Lord Thorno send?" A datasheet was hastily thrust at him. He took it, glancing down and scanning the page. His angry was soothed by the words, and a small smile curled on his thin face. "Excellent." 

"Sir?"

He handed the message back to the quivering Muh-Hadden, and strode past him. "Let's be moving out then. Oh, and before we go, get the new supplies inside. Storms are coming."

~*~

Tahl lay sound asleep under the ferns, happily unaware that evil things were being plotted on the other side of the forest. The woods were still and dark now, full of the whispering sounds of night. The wind hummed her a soft lullaby as it moved through the leaves and stirred up the dust. Far off in the forest, there was a distant call of some predator, out stalking small birds and rodents among the leaf litter. 

Qui-Gon, however, could not find peace. For some reason, his back was bothering him. It had been feeling quite better over the past few days, but suddenly tonight the cuts felt sore and painful again. He couldn't seem to find a comfortable position on the ground, and try as he might his mind would not settle. 

He shifted the pressure off of his throbbing shoulders by sitting up. He moaned softly. The laserwhip had really torn him up more than he thought, it was hurting so badly. Qui-Gon squeezed his eyes shut. Pain was merely his body reminding him he was injured. That he needed to take it easy, as Tahl would say. He sighed, frustrated. He could not afford to take it easy right now. 

He turned his face to the dark sky and felt a drop of rain on his face. A breeze stirred his hair. A few moments passed and a brilliant flash of lightning lit the sky, illuminating the forest. A deafening roar of thunder followed. Qui-Gon jumped, in spite of himself as the trees seemed to quiver. 

Tahl stirred, and he heard her voice, roughened and sleepy. "Was 'at thunder-?" She broke off with a yawn.

"Storms brewed up."Qui-Gon speared his fingers through his hair absently. 

Tahl sat up quite abruptly. "We're about to get very wet, aren't we?" 

"Looks that way."

"Let's find cover then." Tahl started to get to her feet. It was amazing how she could go from total blank sleep to action. A bit scary, Qui-Gon thought, pausing. 

She saw Qui-Gon hesitate. "Come on, unless you want to get beaten to death with hailstones." 

Her friend scrambled to his feet. "Right. Hail, Tahl?" Qui-Gon shook his head and looked around at the darkened forest. "besides, where are we going to go?"

Tahl had already started off back toward the stream. "There was an eroded cave farther down the bank, back where part of the creek had dried up. I saw it earlier today. It's not very big, but we can stay there just until the storm passes."

"It's pitch black out there!" Qui-Gon called, reluctant to leave the safety of their campsite. "It's just a little rain!"

As if to intentionally prove him wrong, a lightning bolt snarled across the dark indigo sky, and Qui-Gon caught a glimpse of towering storm clouds. The following thunderclap made him jump. "Tahl!" He stumbled after her, casting nervous, disapproving looks around the wood. The girl had disappeared into the thick brush. 

Another flash of lightning brightened the trees for a millisecond. The first thudding raindrops made it through the canopy of branches. Tahl appeared from behind a tree, and seized his hand. "Come on, it's just down the bank!"

They made a mad dash for the cave as the downpour started. Tahl skidded down the sloping bank, scattering pebbles and splashing through shallow water across to the other side. Qui-Gon was dragged with her, slipping and sliding across the loose river stones. He stared when he saw the 'cave' Tahl had indicated. 

It was slightly larger than the average animal den, a rocky, gaping hole in the side of the bank. Tahl was crazy if she thought they were both going to fit in there. Besides being small, it looked like it could collapse in at any second. Definitely not the place to be in a heavy thunderstorm. 

"You've got to be kid-" 

If Tahl was deterred by the appearance of the cave, or his words, she did not show it. She yanked him inside quickly, ducking under the low ceiling. Qui-Gon's protest was cut off as he staggered into the tiny earthen cave. It was pitch black. Tahl was dragging him along what was seemed a tunnel... Finally she released him. 

But...now he realized...it wasn't so tiny after all. Qui-Gon found himself suddenly staring into a wide cavern, with a high dripping ceiling and enough room for both he and Tahl to stand easily. 

"We made it just in time." Tahl's voice spoke out of the gloom. Though he could not see her, Qui-Gon knew she had a triumphant grin on her face. "Listen to that rain!" 

He reached out a hand and brushed her soft tunic. "Is that you? It's so dark in here...I can't even tell which way is up..." 

"Yeah, I'm right here. I don't suppose you thought to bring a glowrod?" 

"I didn't think it would be this dark in here. At least out in the forest I could tell the general direction of things..."

"We're in a cave at night, Qui-Gon! How dark did you think it would be?"

His sigh echoed off the walls. She smiled. "Well, at least we aren't out in that downpour." Thunder rumbled from outside. 

"I suppose." Qui-Gon said, a little uncertainly. 

Tahl laughed softly. "What, you don't like closed spaces, now?"

Her friends reply was quick and sharp. "No, the combination of small spaces and darkness, it just, doesn't really suit me." His voice was icy. "Sort of brings back things, you know?" 

"Oh." There was no amusement in Tahl's tone now. "Listen, Qui, I didn't-" 

"Shh."

"Alright..." She whispered, sounding a little afraid. 

There was silence from her friend. Tahl turned toward the direction she supposed he was in. "Qui-Gon?" 

His voice, when it finally spoke, sounded distant and hollow. "Tahl...what is this that we're stepping on?" 

She blinked and stared at the ground, straining her eyes in vain. "Feels like some sort of leaves." Tahl took a step backward and heard a snap, followed by a quick hissing sound. Alarmed, she whirled on her friend. "Are you alright?!" 

"I don't like it in here." Qui-Gon's voice trembled ever so slightly. "I think we should leave." 

Tahl felt a cold, sick feeling of disturbance wash over her. She glanced around at the black sea surrounding her. Suddenly leaving seemed like a very good idea. "I think you're right." 

There was another snap and hiss. Tahl thought she felt something fly through her hair. 

"Don't move!" Qui-Gon yelled. 

She froze. For a moment, the cave was silent, save for their breathing. Then Qui-Gon began to quickly speak. The words tumbled out. "Remember when I told you about the dangerous plants here? I think there might be one in this cave... One that shoots little poisoned darts as a form of defense. The Philomel warned me about them before I left in Muh-Hadden territory. We need to find out where it is in here." He took a steadying breath. "I'm going to use my lightsaber and see if I can't find it. You, don't move, what ever you do. I think it can sense movement." 

Tahl found it suddenly hard to breathe. "You...*think?*"

Qui-Gon flicked the activator button on his saber. Green light shot up, illuminating the cavern with an eerie glow. Instead of one, the Jedi could now see hundreds of small plants each loaded with strange, dart-like fruit glistening in the wane light. The cave was filled with them.

"Oh, sith." Tahl whispered.

There was a collective snap, and then a lethal hiss, as hundreds of poison-filled darts sped toward Qui-Gon and Tahl. 


	14. Stormy

****

To all you wonderful readers: Thank you so much for sticking with me for so long. ;) I know, it has been a long time, but I had the most trouble with this chapter, that I've had so far in this fic. I can't say I'm 100% happy with the way it turned out, but I think at this point it's best to post and go on. :D Thank you to my betas, for their help, and sticking with this, and to you readers for patiently waiting. I really will get the next one out sooner… honest!!! : )

Qui-Gon was moving before his mind had even registered the danger. As humming filled the air, his instincts took over. Time slowed down, and his senses seemed to expand. His eyes widened. Suddenly he could see the minute detail of the dart's thin, sharp points, the glisten of toxic sap, hear clearly the song of death, the noise they made as they whistled toward him. He was also keenly aware of the unflinching stone and earth surrounding Tahl and himself, providing no escape from this refuge turned tomb. There was only one exit. 

Brilliant sapphire light burst to life beside him as Tahl ignited her saber. Qui-Gon swung his own. Time flashed back. 

The two beams of laser whirled and danced in the darkness, hacking blindly at the darts. They swung in a frenzy born of desperation. Smoldering darts fell to the cave floor with a sizzling sound. 

"Run for it!" Qui-Gon thought he heard himself scream. He wasn't sure where exactly they were going to run, but under the hail of plant darts he didn't pause to think twice. He groped toward the direction he hoped the exit was. The darkness was still heavy in the air. "Tahl?!"

Tahl yelped behind him. "Go Qui-Gon!" She shoved his shoulder toward the tunnel. He barely felt the pain of her hand against his sore back as his fingers found the entrance. Another hefty push from Tahl toppled him into the small tunnel. He caught her hand and pulled her after him, stumbling. 

They spilled out of the cave into the driving rain.

"You alright?!" Qui-Gon gasped immediately. Something felt…not right to him…something was amiss, besides the obvious peril they had just faced. Unrest coiled inside him. He could sense Tahl's fear also, it was almost tangible. 

Tahl's dark hair was plastered to her face by the rain. She staggered slightly over the wet, loose stones as they climbed up the bank. Her voice was weak over the wind and she panted desperately for breath. "I-" She gasped. "-don't know... "

Qui-Gon stared hard out into the night. "We need to get back, it's not safe out here." He whispered hoarsely. Shadows flickered about them. "We should run for it."

"Where do we go?" Tahl whimpered.

"Campsite." He started off into the deep woods. "This way-follow me!"

The pair skidded across the soggy ground as fast as they could in the heavy rain, Qui-Gon in front, and Tahl panting behind him. Their feet pounded the damp earth.

He was not entirely sure they were going the right way...the trees all looked the same in the rainy darkness. He darted around a trunk and through some ferns, casting about desperately for any sign that they had previously journeyed there. The last thing he needed was to be lost out in this forest at night. 

Qui-Gon slowed his pace, guessing what direction to take. If only he had paid more attention when they had left camp...

He turned to consult Tahl, but she was not behind him. Qui-Gon gave a little start and whirled around. She was no where in sight...he must have gotten ahead of her... There was a flutter of panic somewhere in his midsection. He re-traced his steps, casting about wildly for any sign of her.

"Tahl?!" 

"Here." The girl appeared out of the gloom, wavering slightly in the downpour, out of breath. Before she could gasp out "sorry," Qui-Gon took her hand. 

"Stick close...you scared me."

Lightning flickered briefly and thunder grumbled after it. Tahl gave an anxious glace back in the direction they had come, as if afraid that something was following them. 

"Qui-Gon..." Her face looked almost pained in the wane light from her saber. "...I think it's this way..." She indicated through some thick trees. He nodded and they started off once again. 

It truly wasn't that far, but it felt like ages before they finally collapsed back at the small rock around which they had made their camp. They did not speak for a moment, but rather tried desperately to catch their breath. The two Jedi's gasps echoed through the trees. 

"Well..." Qui-Gon began, regaining some breath, and turning to Tahl. "...that's the last time I let you pick the 'shelter.'" He rolled his eyes.

Tahl was huddled in a wet, miserable heap on the ground where she had dropped. She didn't even acknowledge that Qui-Gon had said anything, wrapping her arms around herself and trembling.

Qui-Gon gave her an odd look as he picked up the wet blankets from the ground. "Hey..." He stretched the blankets out to dry and turned to his friend. "...what's the matter?" The young Jedi crouched next to her, flashing a grin. "You can choose the next shelter if it really means that much to you..." 

Tahl gave no smile, but looked up. Qui-Gon was startled to see that her eyes were filled with unshed tears. 

"Tahl!" He called roughly, seizing her arm with one hand and searching her face. "What is it? Are you hurt?!" In all the years Qui-Gon had been friends with Tahl, he had only known her to cry once or twice, only in the most dire circumstances. If she was crying, it meant something was desperately, desperately wrong. 

"Qui..." she whispered, her voice very soft. She had taken to calling him that, lately. He thought it strange that she should even remember. "We...we...almost died in that cave. Didn't we...? Didn't we Qui?"

He closed his eyes and nodded. "It was close. But we made it."

"Too close...and it was my fault..." she murmured, tears now streaming down her face. "It was me. I was r-rash." 

"It wasn't your fault. Not at all." Qui-Gon tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. There was more going on than Tahl was telling him. He could feel the fogginess, the unrest in her aura. His chest constricted. The pain. He could feel her pain. A piece clicked into place in his mind. "You're hurt!"

At these words, she started to sob harder, and hid her face in her hands in utter defeat. The rain, which had become a steady dance down upon the forest, trickled down her face mingling with her tears. Her slight body shuddered with misery. Instinctively, Qui-Gon reached out to touch her shoulder in comfort. His hand came back sticky with blood.

"What happened?" Qui-Gon whispered brokenly, his voice trembling slightly with fear. He explored the wound with his mind, and his heart sank into despair. 

"Dart...caught me..." Tahl managed to choke out. "All the way in...my shoulder."

Qui-Gon felt as if someone had suddenly poured ice water over him. Nothing could have prepared him for this. It was like everything inside him had dropped out. He could not breathe. If the dart had gotten her...and...if it was truly toxic to humans...

Tahl was dying. 

He took her into his arms, and she willingly went, trying in vain to stop crying, but finding her reserve of inner strength gone. She wanted so badly to be strong, to pull herself together for Qui-Gon's sake, if not her own. But the pain was too great. The forces pulling at her were too strong. 

Qui-Gon saw the light fading quickly from her brilliant eyes and knew time was short. The poison was taking effect. Panic flooded his veins and he felt as if his heart had lodged in his throat. There had to be some way to save her, but nothing came to him, his mind only produced static. 

Precious seconds ticked by. Tahl was trembling in his arms. His eyes caught on her tunic, where there was a small rip where the dart had pierced her, barely visible in the darkness. Blood soaked her shoulder. He was amazed and horrified that something so small could hurt her so much.

The dart. He paused.

"Maybe if…" Qui-Gon trailed off, thinking hard, weighing his choices. "…I could try…but I'm not a Healer…" He swallow, and seemed to brace himself for something. "…yes, it might work." 

Working quickly, Qui-Gon set Tahl down on the soggy blankets, gathering wet leaves and twigs into a pile. He then lit his saber. The timber, saturated as it was ignited easily under the power of the laser. It burst into flame, licking around the edges of the wood and bathing the Jedi in soft, flickering light. 

"If I can get the dart out, we'll be fine. I think once the source is removed, the rest should be a simple matter of using the force to work against the poison." Qui-Gon spoke quickly, feeling more confident now that he could see what he was doing. "It will hurt..." He added somewhat hesitantly. "But it might save your life."

She nodded her consent through tears.

Very carefully, and with a deep breath to steel himself, Qui-Gon probed her shoulder. It was hard to see the wound through her heavy tunic, and he squinted in the wane firelight. With this view, he could barely even see the dart itself. He brushed at the ripped hole in her tunic lightly. Perhaps if he could get a better look... 

The boy swallowed, pink replacing the paleness in his cheeks. He ripped her tunic down along the hole made by the dart, until he could see the tiny poison capsule quite clearly, its point embedded in the soft flesh of her shoulder. "Here it is." Tahl gave no reply, except for a little sob, so, bracing himself, Qui-Gon took hold of the tiny dart. The girl quivered. He reached out with the force to soothe her pain at the same time he pulled the dart out of her shoulder. She cried out, a soft broken noise that ripped at him. Qui-Gon suddenly realized he was crying as well.

He hugged her, murmuring softly into her hair. "We're going to be alright now...we're all okay."

"No..." she choked, weakly shoving his comforting hand away. There was pain and anger mingled on her face. "This place is going to kill us! We're going to die here, I know it!" 

"We aren't going to die." Qui-Gon replied calmly. "Do you remember what you told me back in the cell?" 

Tahl whimpered slightly but didn't answer.

"Well, I do. 'It'll all turn out, you'll see.'" He lifted her chin firmly with his thumb. "I was half- dead, scared out of my mind, and broken in every sense of the word. But I believed you. I trusted you. Please, can you trust meon this one?"

She was fading away with the night. Qui-Gon had to lean close to catch her words. "I'm afraid..."

"I am too." He confessed, tightening his arms around her weakening body. "But we'll go on. It will turn out for good eventually. You can't feel the highs if you don't feel the lows."

His friend nodded slowly, only half-hearing as the poison that had leaked into her through the dart took effect. Qui-Gon reached out through the force, focusing his healing energies. Now all he could do was trust the force, and trust Tahl. It would be a long and painful night, but there was a small enough dose of venom that force heal should restore her. 

He settled back against the tree, still cradling her limp form in his arms. 

~*~

__

I'm a man, 

I'm not a child...

A man who sees

the shadow behind

your eyes

~*~

The darkness had seemed to stretch on to eternity. 

Qui-Gon did not sleep, rather focusing all his attention on Tahl. The night had taken it's toll on his strength, however. His body was numb from her dead weight across it for so long. He was dripping wet, having been soaked to the bone by the showers. Healing her had stolen away a great deal of his precious life energy by now. Weariness settled over the boy, and he fought to keep his eyes open. Still he remained awake, until the rain slowed to a steady dance, and fingers of pink began to creep across the cloud-dappled sky. Shadows shortened and the forest lightened. His spirits lifted with the first rays of sunlight that peaked through the canopy. Qui-Gon let out a breath slowly. Dawn had come at last. It was all over.

He glanced down at Tahl. She lay beside him, her lovely face blank and peaceful in sleep. She looked so pale in the wane morning light, so delicate. But she was alive. He breathed the word like a fervent prayer. Alive. Life was a fragile thing here on Childor. It was so easily shattered into oblivion. Here he had battled for his own. And, had come so close to losing that battle, too. And now Tahl. Now Childor had nearly stolen her life away as well. 

Powerful emotion rose within him. The night was over, and he could rest now. He squeezed his eyes shut. His head was throbbing, and he felt slightly nauseous. It was all too much, too soon for him. Qui-Gon was sure he was too weak to move, and wasn't about to try, so, tucking one arm around his mid section, he surrendered his conscious to sleep. 


	15. I'm Here

****

Well, I survived Hurricane Isabel, and now here we are with another update for you all. : ) I hope you enjoy, 'tis the beginning of the end for Qui an Tahl… da-da-daaaaaaaaa!!!! Oh, and a very special thank you to Sarah for allowing me to borrow Tahl's middle and last name from her excellent fic "Making." :D Hope everyone enjoys this! Thank you for your continued support!

His eyes opened and a blurred mix of green color and light floated in his vision. It took Qui-Gon a moment to remember where he was. His mind felt full of static, and it buzzed idly as he tried to concentrate. The green kaleidoscope swam into focus above him, and the chaotic memories of the previous night came back in a rush. 

__

...darkness...black empty night...

...the storm...

...the light was fading from jewel-green eyes...

"Tahl!" he cried, a flood of terror drowning him suddenly. The boy struggled to sit up, and with another cold shock, found he could not. His body refused to respond. Confused, and on the verge of panic, Qui-Gon twisted around desperately. The woods around him were strewn with debris from the previous nights storm, and the evidence of natures fury unnerved him. His eyes finally found Tahl, and thus, relief.

She was lying next to him, her head resting on his stomach, using his body as a convenient pillow. At hearing her name she turned, propping herself up on one elbow and giving him a sleepy smile.

"'lo Qui..." Her voice was hoarse, roughened with sleep, but nothing could have lifted Qui-Gon's spirits more. Suddenly the forest was beautiful again. 

He met her smile with his own weak one. "Comfortable?" 

"Quite. Only..." She sighed softly. "I was just noticing...you've gotten so thin since everything." Tahl poked his bare mid drift. "Look, I can count your ribs..."

He squeaked and squirmed away from her prodding. "Sorry if I'm not an acceptable cushion anymore." He seized her hands half in a gesture of concern, half to stop her poking. "How are you though? How do you feel?"

She shifted her shoulder and winced slightly. "A little sore. But I'll live if that's what you mean..." She winked. "And you?"

"I know I'm alive because it hurts..." He gave her good arm a little shove, but with no real conviction. "I guess it's no good to ask you to move?"

Tahl didn't budge from his chest. "You would be correct in that assumption. Besides, don't think I could move if I wanted to."

"You and me both." Qui-Gon softly groaned. 

Tahl smiled a little. There was a reflective silence between the two friends. Sunlight arched down through the leafy canopy above, patterning them with a soft, green light. Then Tahl spoke again. "You know, I can't remember much from last night..." She lay back against him, her gold-flecked eyes thoughtful. "But..." Brief color flushed her cheeks. "I know, I couldn't have got through it without you. You saved my life." 

"Did not..." He blushed as well, self-consciously brushing at his braid. "Well, it wasn't that dramatic at least." 

"You did," Tahl insisted quietly. "And I thank you." She gave a soft little sigh. She was beginning to feel tired all over again, even though she had hardly been awake for an hour. Her head was beginning to throb with the strain of it all. It was unnerving to feel this weak. She wondered if this was what it was like for Qui-Gon after he had gotten out of Conn's clutches.

Her friend, perhaps sensing her thoughts, smiled wanly. "Go ahead, rest. You're going to be a little tired for a few days, just until the poison completely leaves your system." He gave her a half-smile. "I'll take care of things, you just get better."

"You're nice..." Tahl surveyed him sleepily through half-closed eyes. "But you're hurt too..." she murmured.

"I'm doing much better. Don't worry about a thing..." Qui-Gon whispered to her. "...rest." He watched as consciousness waned in her weakened body, and she slept. Smiling slightly, he gently pushed her off him and onto her bed roll. Then he stood shakily, to retrieve her pack, intending to start a fire. 

Perhaps it was because he stood so abruptly, or because he hadn't moved all night, but he found himself suddenly very dizzy. The forest blurred around him and he stumbled, catching his balance on a tree trunk. He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the spinning feeling, but when he opened them, darkness flickered on the edges of his vision. A sharp panic ran through him, and he found himself doing the thing that had always come so natural when he was afraid, the thing that had been habit up until the last few weeks. Not even aware that he was doing it, Qui-Gon reached for his mental bond with Dooku. 

//Master!//

A second after he had reached out, Qui-Gon remembered that their link had been closed for weeks. But to his surprise he felt suddenly a connection. An answering burst of energy. 

//Qui-Gon?// His master's link with him was shaky at best, and the voice seemed to come from far off, but it was a reply. He could suddenly feel a rush of emotions that were not his own. Surprise...confusion....hope? The others presence he felt keenly through the force. // My Padawan?//

//Yes!// He screamed through their bond, with as much strength as he could muster. Joy flooded through his veins. It had been weeks since he had brushed Dooku's mind. If he could speak to his mentor...if he could only tell him...perhaps he could send Jedi aide! Perhaps they would both get home! Hope thrummed strong within him again.. //It's me! Please, don't let go!//

//You...it is...but...where are you?//

//Here! Childor! Please, please come soon!// 

//It cannot be...// The voice seemed even further away now. //No...you are dead. I am dreaming.// 

//You aren't dreaming! I'm really here!// Qui-Gon called desperately. But the link was fading, and the boy was still too weak to keep it open for long. He tried to cling to it, but he felt it recede, slipping away as if he were grasping at a cloud. 

//Then you are but a spirit, punishing me, haunting me for my betrayal.//

//Betrayal?!//

//Please, leave me to my grief.//

Bitter, angry pain was the last thing Qui-Gon could feel of his Master, as their link crumbled. He felt his heart shatter with the bond, and the broken, jagged pieces digging deep inside him. Tahl's words came crashing back to him, with the force of a hurricane. 

"...._of course, **I** know you aren't dead...but to the rest of the galaxy..."_

He had never before felt the full implication of what she had been saying. Now it was more than he could bear. Qui-Gon felt desperate tears well in his storm**-**gray eyes, but refused to let them fall. Some part of his pride, still surviving, would not let him. Maybe it was the Jedi he was growing up to be, or perhaps it was the streak of stubborn defiance that he had harbored since the day he had first spoken the word "no." Whatever had caused it, it had proven itself indestructible, and fed the fires of life in his soul. If Dooku wasn't going to help him, he would help himself. He had gone though too much to die here. They'd get home if it cost everything. 

Still, Qui-Gon could not deny that he felt the pain. His _Master _thought he was _dead, _for the sake of the Force! He sighed, leaning back against a tree sadly. The dizzy, sick feeling came back. He nibbled on another ridiculous ration bar...he was getting so sick of them. But, then again, he was hungry. As the young Jedi lay back, the reality of his exhaustion crashed in on him. The last thing he heard before drifting off was a strange sound, like an inhuman scream, echoing far off into the forest...

~*~

A cooking fire burned low on the still-soggy ground. Little tendrils of light and warmth struggled feebly to consume the damp wood offered to fuel them. Occasionally there was a hiss or pop as a sodden twig snapped under the heat, and the boy sitting by the flames would jump at the crack. Sparks danced up from the embers, and he scooted a little further from the fire.

The girl sitting across from him curved her lips slightly, as a comment sprang into her mind, but at the look in his eyes she wisely held her tongue. Qui-Gon had been quiet for a long time, and she knew something was on his mind. He would talk when he was ready. 

As it happened, he was ready a moment later. "Tahl, I've been thinking....we need to talk about something." He was wearing that funny expression he had learned from Dooku, the one that so clearly said "I'm going to make you guess what's on my mind and then give you a vague answer."

Tahl raised an eyebrow. She was still feeling somewhat weak from the poison and not really up to guessing his thoughts at the moment. She laughed a little. "Is this about ripping up my tunic the other night?"

He paused a moment, frowning, and blushing deep red in an exasperated sort of way. "...no.…it's not." He looked down and then up again. "We've come a long way, you know." 

She was still smiling."I know we have, but it was only okay once, alright? That was special circumstances. Fully know that if you rip my tunic open like that again, I'll slap you, best friend forever or not." 

Qui-Gon ignored her and went on. "We've walked a good ways, I think we're finally nearing the village." Tahl nodded, keeping quiet this time. Qui-Gon laughed. "Have you run out of things to say to make me blush, or are you actually taking me seriously now?"

She smiled sweetly. "All ears." 

"Good. See, we need to-"

Suddenly a shrill wailing started up out of the forest, piercing the comfortable woodland still. Both Tahl and Qui-Gon stopped to look around. 

"What-?" Tahl frowned as she searched for the source of the noise. "Qui-Gon, what in sith is that?!"

"It sounds like someone being tortured." A shadow of something passed over his face and for a moment he looked like someone else, someone older, someone more jaded, perhaps. He frowned. "I heard it last night too. But I thought I was just dreaming. I wonder what's going on..." He stood, in a fluid, easy motion that was his natural grace.

"Wait...where are you going?"

'I'm just going to take a look. Stay here." Qui-Gon shot her a keen look, then turned toward the woods. 

"Qui-Gon...no!" she whispered softly. He stopped to stare at her. "Please stay here. You don't know what it could be!"

Qui-Gon shrugged. "No, I don't, but I've got my 'saber. I'll be fine." 

Tahl bit her lip. "But…Qui-Gon… what if…?" She became very pale. "…and this forest…it's…no, don't go." 

"I just want to see what it is, I'll be back in a few moments." He turned back to give her a characteristic lopsided smile, which crinkled the corners of his mischievous blue eyes and filled them with light. That smile. It was a tiny piece of her friend that had remained somehow intact during his period of hell. A shattered fragment of the innocent boy who had left Coruscant nearly a month ago, so full of dreams and life and today. "I'm always careful."

And with another smile, he was gone. Tahl shook her head, and repeated her plea softly. "Please be safe..."

~*~

After the last night's heavy rains, the forest floor was damp and spongy beneath his bare feet. Qui-Gon curiously followed the voice further into the trees, stopping now and then to recapture his bearings. The screaming was getting louder, or he was getting closer. His eyes narrowed briefly as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Tahl's words about caution echoed in his mind, and he placed a hand on the hilt of his saber. He turned toward the source of the disturbance warily. 

The flicker of movement was near a bit of tree limb that had snapped during the previous nights powerful storms. As Qui-Gon neared it, he saw a tiny bit of crimson on the ground huddled beside the branch; an animal of some kind. He frowned again. It was this small thing that had been making so much noise? He crouched down to get a better look...

It was a bird. A tiny bird. It jumped up at him, and he gave a start of surprise and pulled away, startled and feeling somewhat foolish. Maybe Tahl was right when she said he was twitchy. But the creature hopped toward him. He could see now it was only a fledgling, perhaps cast down from it's safe nest in the canopy by the storm. Again he approached it, but this time, more slowly. 

"What do you want?" He whispered to it, though he knew it could not possibly understand. "Why are you making such a racket? We were trying to sleep. You're such a tiny, beautiful little thing, aren't you?" The creature twittered as if in response, and cocked it's brightly colored scarlet head to one side. Though wild, the bird seemed to sense that he meant her no harm, only help. The living force pulsed within him, attractive to all creatures, great or small. Tahl was often amused by it, Dooku often exasperated, but the strange quality in Qui-Gon was undeniable. Life was drawn to him, and he to life. 

The plaintive shrieking began again, and the bird opened its beak wide and pleading to be fed. After deliberating for a few moments, the Jedi boy picked up the creature gently, cupping the tiny body in his scarred hand. "Alright, I'll take you back and get you something to eat. But Tahl's not going to like this..."

~*~

Tahl stared at him horrified. "Put that thing down! You don't know where it's been!"

Qui-Gon glared at her and stroked the little creature's head. "She." 

"What?!" Tahl asked exasperated. 

"She." Qui-Gon repeated, looking irritated at her apparent lack of empathy, and motioning at the bundle of feathers in his hands. "Not it. And *she* isn't a 'thing.'" 

"I don't even think it's a bird, Qui-Gon." 

"She is!" Qui-Gon insisted as the animal began to shrilly chirp. "She'll be very handsome when she gets bigger...she's only a baby now." He laughed a little. "She's hungry." The creature had it's beak wide open, pleading and pecking at Qui-Gon.

Tahl closed her eyes. "Put it back, please Qui-Gon. Where ever you found it, just put it back." She moaned as the chirping increased in volume. 

"I can't just put her back Tahl! You have to understand...she's just like me..."

The pleading note in his voice bewildered her. "Just like you?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow and laughed. "Um hm, I can definitely see the likeness..."

"Tahl!" He whined, looking hurt. "Don't laugh at me, I'm serious..." The young Jedi held the squeaking bird to his chest, peering down at it. "We're both lost, scared, a long way from home..." His grey-blue eyes suddenly were filled with agony, though they did not leave the creature. "And we've both fallen out of our nests before it was time." 

Tahl suddenly felt somehow guilty. She looked down at the bird as well, unable to think of anything to say. But Qui-Gon went on. 

"Besides, she found me for a reason. She needs me, she's too small to be out of her nest. She'll die out in this forest on his own." He finally met her gaze defiantly. "I'm not leaving her."

Tahl recovered her power of speech instantly. "Sith, Qui-Gon, you'd think I'd asked you to give up your only child or something." Qui-Gon was still glaring at her defensively, so she sighed. It wasn't like she could really make him get rid of the animal anyway. "Fine. Keep the bird. But it's your pet, not mine. I don't want anything to do with that feather-ball."

Qui-Gon grinned happily, pinching the bird's beak closed with his thumb and forefinger to stop it's wailing. "I'm glad you see my point of view." He winked as she rolled her eyes. "I'll even give you the honor of naming her!"

Tahl produced an odd little choking sound and turned it into an ill-disguised cough. "Ah, Qui-Gon...I don't think it's a good idea to name it-ah, I mean,..._her_. Name implies attachment." 

"She has to have a name. We can't just call her 'the bird.'" Qui-Gon gave her an odd look, as if naming the misplaced little creature was the most obvious thing to do in the galaxy. We can name her Tahl even, if you'd like!" He continued cheerfully, trying various rations from their bag to quiet the bird.

"As flattered as I am..." she muttered dryly. "...I'd rather not have a possessed bird brain with my namesake."

"Well then you think of something." He grinned at her, shrugging.

Tahl paused a long moment, thinking. She thought it best to think of something and appease him and his tiny pet. But who knew? Maybe a creature to look after would be good for her friend. Suddenly she found herself laughing out loud. "Oh, I've got it!" 

"Hm?" Qui-Gon looked up from feeding the bird part of a ration bar. 

"I've thought up a name for the thing! Li!" She laughed. "Li! Isn't that perfect?!"

Qui-Gon actually choked, staring at her incredulously. "What?! Li? As in Li, the Muh-Hadden?!" His eyes grew wider as she nodded eagerly. "You have a sick, twisted view of what is funny and what is cruel, Tahl Suruanne Wildstar!"

She stared at him, the very picture of disbelieving innocence. "What? I think it's a good name. What's wrong with 'Li the Muh-Hadden' anyway?"

"Oh, the little fact that he tortured me! Tried to _kill _me? Remember that? Ringing any bells?!"

Tahl sighed and picked the bird out of his hand. "Yes, I remember that he was part of a group who did terrible things to you. But he also saved your life." She shrugged. "I liked him. I didn't mean to... upset you." 

"Sorry if I don't remember his heroic deeds, I was a little unconscious at the time thanks to his not-so heroic ones." Qui-Gon shot coldly. "And I'm not _upset_."

"Right. I'm sorry, I thought you might have let some things go. I guess not. He was a nice man caught in a bad situation. He saved your life. But fine." Her cheeks flushed deep crimson. "Name it whatever you want." She deposited the creature back in his lap. 

Qui-Gon sighed, frustrated. He didn't understand how the argument had sprung up so quickly. Tahl seemed on edge, and he realized he wasn't much better himself. Best to make things better. "Listen. I didn't mean to get snappy. I shouldn't let everything affect me like this. And you're right." He took a deep, steadying breath. At first, he hadn't been really sure if she _was_ right, but he felt better as he spoke. "There's quite a few times I would have been dead if not for Li." 

Tahl shrugged again wordlessly, but the hostile expression on her face faded back into calm.

Qui-Gon took another breath, and looked down. "Maybe you're right, we should call her Li. Just to make a point." 

Tahl raised her eyebrows at him. "I told you, it doesn't matter. Call it 'the bird' for all I care." But as the delicate creature hopped out of Qui-Gon's lap again, and chirped about the camp, her face softened. 

"Li-bird.." he hummed to it, feeding it a bit of the ration bar. "You're far too hungry for a such a small thing."

Tahl paled slightly, and patted at their now quite light pack. "We're all going to be pretty hungry if we don't reach the Philomel soon...we've stretched our rations about three times further than they were intended to go." 

"Li." Qui-Gon frowned suddenly. "…Li...he told them we went to the village, didn't he?" His eyes grew distant and haunted. "So...we could escape. So we could get into the forest and they'd think we headed for the road...right Tahl?"

Tahl gave him a strange look. "Yes, I suppose he did. I thought you said you didn't remember."

Qui-Gon absently stroked Li-bird's head. "I didn't...it's strange...I just...now...thought about it. Do you think Co-the Muh-Hadden might be watching the road then?"

Tahl turned her head toward the direction they had been traveling. "Maybe...I mean, it's possible." She shrugged. "We'll just be extra careful. Are you alright?"

Qui-Gon got to his feet easily. "Yes, I'm fine. It's only..." he took a deep breath. "I've got a very bad feeling about this all."


	16. The Meaning Of Friendship

Well, good readers, you have waited…and now here it is. KITE CHAPTER 16…THE MEANING OF FRIENDSHIP. The grand finale will commence now! *****snaps fingers* Two more chapters left after this! Quick acknowledgments…

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To Laurie…thank you for…yes, I'm going to say it…THANK YOU FOR HELPING MAKE KITE NOT SUCK! :D *bug* (cracks up)

****

And to Becjedi: For being an incredible beta, and an even greater bud. She did such an awesome job betaing this, and she's helped me so much with this chapter. Yeah, the meaning of friendship, mate, you're that. :) (look, I was aussie there for a minute! Did you see?!)

****

And finally: Thank you all for your great reviews. They keep me writing. And smiling. :)

AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO- ze grand finale!!! :D woohoo! Hope you all enjoy!! 

"Li-Bird!" Tahl screamed for the thousandth time that afternoon, pausing in her trudging to make a grab at the little feathered blob hopping off her shoulder. It had been a day now since the bird joined their little party, and they were back to trooping toward the village. Tahl was doing better, but still a bit unsteady from the poison. 

"Qui-Gon! Get your stupid bird!" Whenever she was being irritating, Li-Bird quickly became _Qui-Gon's _bird. 

The boy ducked out from behind a tree and secured the creature, shooting Tahl a look for the 'stupid' remark. "Be nice..." he muttered, but it was unclear whether he was speaking to the bird or Tahl.

It was a hard fact to admit, but to be completely truthful both parties were getting a bit sick of each other. The good friends usually had their regular spats, but they had been significantly more intense than usual. They had been in very close quarters for a little bit too long, and now the differences in their personalities were beginning to strain on each other's nerves. Tahl in Qui-Gon's opinion, was being totally cranky and insensitive, whereas Tahl was positive she could not take another second of Qui-Gon's absurd melancholy. At any rate, they both needed space. 

Qui-Gon absently stared at the stream as he walked, eyes absorbed into this blue water they had followed for so long. Li-Bird swayed on his shoulder as he paused. The entire landscape was changing, he realized. They had been walking non-stop all day, and things were starting to look definitely different now. The trees were thinning, and the terrain was getting rockier. They were getting closer.

"Quit..." He mumbled to Li-Bird, who had her claws dug into his shoulder. The creature was getting so jittery all the sudden. Come to think of it, he was feeling a little on guard. Wincing, Qui-Gon lifted his hands to pry the bird's claws out of his skin. He secured her, and then glanced across the stream. In the late afternoon sunlight it looked almost as if some sort of creature was lurking in the undergrowth. Suppressing a shudder, he quickened his pace to catch up with Tahl.

As he matched Tahl's stride with his own, he felt somehow better, warmed by the sense of comradeship in their steps. They were almost there. And it was really a glorious afternoon. Long, golden beams of sunlight lay on the forest floor in front of them, and their shadows lay behind them. Their feet crunched pleasingly on the carpet of leaves under them. Neither quite knew what lay ahead, but somehow, they knew their path would lead them home. Li-Bird seemed to want to contribute something to the moment, and broke into a wavering song from Qui-Gon's shoulder. Her scarlet plumage glowed in the warm sunlight. 

As evening fell, they finally broke through the trees into a clearing. Qui-Gon ducked under a branch and stepped out, holding it out of Tahl's way so she could pass. His gaze traveled idly across the grassy fields they had come upon, checking out the landscape. Suddenly he stopped, letting the branch zip backwards. Tahl behind him nearly smashed into his back, and Li Bird screamed her protest at his abrupt stopping.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?!"

But he remain frozen, his eyes glued across the field. It seemed a rather typical grassy plain, some trees here and there, surrounding it, a small creek running through it...and on the far side, a wall. A gate. The entrance to a settlement. 

Tahl nudged him out of the way and glanced across the meadow as well, following his gaze. She did not cry out as he had, but rather standing immobile as he was, gasping. "Qui..." A slow smile grew over her face. "I-is that what I think it is?"

"Tahl..." He began, but his voice cracked with a tremble of excitement. "It's the village. I'm sure of it!"

"Then...?" Her dancing eyes turned to him.

"We can go home!" Qui-Gon gasped, his face transformed with joy.

"H-home?" Tahl looked up, her emerald eyes glimmering as they stared entranced into her friend's. "_Ohh!"_ She impulsively threw her arms around Qui-Gon's neck and clung to him.

Qui-Gon was far too happy to blush, and instead hugged her back, quite pulling her off her feet. Together they jumped around like children, both laughing and crying at once. Li Bird fluttered around them, shrieking, confused by all the excitement. Finally Qui-Gon recovered himself, and stopped bounding to squeeze Tahl's shoulder excitedly. "We made it!"

Tahl let go of him and led him across the meadow, grinning. "What is the first thing you want to do when you get back to the temple?"

He laughed as they stumbled through the grasses and wild flowers. "...medical attention comes to mind...."

She shoved him playfully. "Besides that I mean!" 

"Ooh—" he spun around, his eyes flying skyward. "I'm not sure...get a decent meal, grab a shower?"

Tahl smiled slowly. "I suppose that's satisfactory..."

"You suppose!?" He laughed. 

"Well, knowing you, I would have thought you'd say something like visit the Room of a Thousand Fountains!"

"Necessities first Tahl..." He winked at her. "It's been weeks..."

"Since the decent meal or the shower?"

Qui-Gon paused, considering. Then he grinned at her. "Both."

"Qui-" She started to laugh and then fell suddenly silent. Her smiled faded.

They had neared the wall now and just visible next to the main gate was a squad of guards. Qui-Gon followed her eyes and his breath caught too. The guards weren't Philomel. They were Muh-Hadden.

Now they could see the signs of the battle. Blasters had pocket-marked the wall in some places and parts of the gate had been blown away. There was not a Philomel in sight, but destruction was everywhere. 

"The village...this was the equivalent of their capital..." Qui-Gon breathed, staring brokenly at the blackened gate. 

"And it's been taken..." Tahl whispered numbly.

Qui-Gon continued to stare. "I have failed." He seemed in a daze. "I've failed my mission. That was the whole point of everything..."

Tahl turned to him, worried by the growing panic in his eyes. "What...what do you mean?"

"I mean, the whole reason...oh-the whole reason I came to Childor was to prevent this!" He squeezed his eyes shut. "The whole reason they tortured me was to find out..." He broke off shuddering horribly. "I don't understand how...." But he couldn't finish.

Tahl stared hard at the blaster-scoured walls. "Well-did you tell them anything?"

Qui-Gon's eyes went wide. "What?!"

"Did you tell...the Muh-Hadden anything?" She looked hesitantly at him, her eyes uncertain. 

"No!" Qui-Gon said with unnerving vehemence. "That's why I don't understand how they-"

"Are you sure?" 

__

She doesn't believe me?! Qui-Gon's eyes flashed as he spun to face her. "Do you not hear what I'm saying? I didn't tell Conn anything!" He yelled, surprising himself with the intensity of his feelings.

Tahl stepped back, caught off guard at his sudden outburst. "Hey, listen Qui, don't be angry. I meant... I only was wondering if maybe you got drugged and told them something...something that you don't remember...and that would explain...it doesn't really matter anyway..." Somehow her meek surprise only fueled his shame and anger. 

"You're wrong!" He snapped. "I remember everything!" Deep inside, he knew she hadn't meant to hurt him, or bring up something painful, but the torrent of pain that rushed to the surface was overwhelming. Words tumbled out before he could check them, bitter and hurt filled. "You don't know. You can't understand. No one can!" He choked out, angry passion in his voice. "You think Conn was about to give me a rest by drugging me into oblivion? I wish he had!" Qui-Gon screamed at her, turning away and starting back across the field.

Tahl's eyes flashed, her fiery temper flaring up. "There's no reason to yell at me like that!" Instantly she regretted her tone, but the words had been said.

"There's perfect reason!" He fired back. "You think that I just spilled under pain?!"

"That's not what I said!" She screamed back at him.

"It's what you meant!!!"

Tahl closed her eyes briefly. She knew Qui-Gon didn't really mean any of this. He was just upset. She really couldn't blame him, either. "Listen...that's not what I meant at all." Tahl dropped her hand softly to his shoulder. "Just calm down."

"Let go of me!"He twisted his arm out of her grip and stormed off in the other direction. She stared blankly after him. 

~*~

Qui-Gon's sense of being sorely wronged by trusted company carried him into the thin forest on the other side of the field. But as he looked back, his heart sunk. Tahl had not followed him in here. He was really alone. Sighing, the boy fell back against the trunk of a slim tree. 

A sound made him freeze. His hand strolled to the ligthtsaber clipped to his belt. But before he could even close his hand around the slim metal cylinder something dropped out of the tree he was leaning against. A strange head leered upside down at him.

Qui-Gon shrieked and actually jumped sideways. He scrabbled backwards on all fours, hyperventilating slightly and staring widely at the head. Then something clicked in his mind.

"Shadow!" He yelled angrily. "What are you doing here?!" 

The head lowered and a torso and legs appeared. Shadow had her feet hooked against a branch and was hanging upside down from the slender branches. It was the first time Qui-Gon had seen her in actual light. Back in the cell, it had seemed a ray of sunlight would have evaporated her, but now she seemed more corporeal, more real. She was not the object of a pain-filled delirium any more than Tahl had been when she appeared had out of the gloom. Qui-Gon studied her curiously. He could see now that her skin was not black, rather a colored a midnight blue. Her facial features looked more human-like in the sun, however sharp little fangs flicking out from her dark lips deemed her undeniably alien. 

"Shadow had every right to be in the Elli Mwet that Man-child has." She observed, with seeming indifference. She studied her claws as she spoke, hardly looking at Qui-Gon.

"That's true." Qui-Gon began diplomatically, swallowing. "But...you shouldn't...shouldn't startle people like that."

She bared her teeth at him in a grim smile. "Scared?"

"Not of you." He said defiantly. He was no longer at her mercy, chained down and bleeding. Shadow was no longer the monster out of a nightmare. "But a little surprised What are you doing out of the cells?"

"Could ask the same thing for you." She hissed softly, looking for the first time straight at him. "Shadow thought she'd never see you living again."

"Hmm." Qui-Gon made a noncommittal noise and shrugged. "But I thought you never came out into the forest..."

"Now and then and sometimes." She waved her elegant, clawed hand. "To hunt. But, this time, Shadow has left the cells for good. No reason to stay there, anymore, not since the fight." 

"What fight?" Qui-Gon's eyes flashed, but his face remained impassive. 

Shadow grinned-at least, Qui-Gon assumed it was a grin. "Oh, Man-child's leaving caused much fighting between the Hadden." She cackled. "One did not think they were right to hurt a runt-baby creature..."

"Oh, thanks a lot-"

She hissed at him for silence and continued. "...and so the head Hadden got angry. Lots of yelling, then shooting, finally, lots of bodies for Shadow to feed on." She seemed to get savage pleasure out of the look of horror and disgust on the young Jedi's face.

"...so...who... won?" Qui-Gon asked, almost afraid of the answer, and horrified by Shadows comments.

"No one. Fighter Hadden left. Leader and the others...well...they left as well." She considered. "Shadow does not know why. Building all abandoned. So, Shadow went too."

"But-there were other prisoners too, in the cells, weren't there?" Qui-Gon's eyes grew wide and horror-filled. "Conn just left them down there to die?" 

"None of Shadows concern." She muttered. "Followed the Man-child, and his mate's trail."

Qui-Gon wrinkled his nose, rather bewildered. "My mate?" Then a smile crept over his face."Oh, you mean Tahl?!" He laughed in his soft quiet way. "Tahl isn't my mate!" 

"Oh." Shadow paused, looking almost uncomfortable with her incomprehension, bothered by his laughter. It was the first time she had seen any expression of joy, or amusement from him, in fact it was the first emotion besides hurt that she had really seen in him. She did not understand what he was laughing about. "Then...why...is she with Man-Child? If not-"

"No, no...because she...she's my friend. Its nothing like what you're thinking." A fine blush was settling over his features. 

Shadow paused. "Friend?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed. Whoever had taught Shadow basic had done a very poor job."You know-someone I trust...who I like to be with." He took a breath. "Someone I love!"

She gave him a look of complete and total incomprehension.

"A person I associate myself with!"

"Shadow does not understand." She growled at him. 

"Qui-Gon? What are you doing?" Tahl had emerged from between the trees and was staring at her friend and the creature with hesitant curiosity. Li-Bird was resting on her shoulder. "What...what is that?"She was watching the upside-down Shadow warily. 

"Tahl..." he gasped with a rush of warmth, "...it's you. Listen, about what happened in the field..."

"No...don't. I'm sorry." She looked down, blushing. Her eyes raised and drifted to the creature hanging in the tree. "Um...."

Qui-Gon looked quickly at Shadow who's eyes were flickering between Tahl and the bird on the girls shoulder hungrily, as if deciding which to consume first. He glared at her and shook his head no. 

Tahl carefully crossed the space between them to stand next to Qui-Gon. Her eyes followed Shadow the entire way. "Who...who is that?"

"It's sort of hard to explain." He hedged.

"Could you try?" 

"Okay." Qui-Gon took a breath, and looked up. "This..." He motioned at Shadow, who had lost interest in the conversation beneath her and was clawing at a passing butterfly in a vaguely cat-like manner. "..this is...my friend Shadow." She snatched it out of the air and immediately it found its way into her mouth. "Shadow, this is Tahl."

Tahl watched in sort of fascinated horror as Shadow proceeded to eat the lovely little insect with apparent relish, dropping the wings out of the corner of her mouth, and munching on the soft body. One delicate wing escaped her clutches and drifted down to the leaf litter below, glittering and exquisitely colored as it sailed gracefully down. Tahl followed it with her eyes, watching it slowly fall and turn to the ground. Only once Shadow had swallowed her snack did she look up. Tahl found it was herself under the predatory eye now. "Qui-Gon, where did she come from?"

"The cells. She was good to me in the prison..." He paused, closing his eyes and swallowing. "I was so sick... it hurt so bad, but she talked to me a little bit. She brought me water. I wasn't quite as lonely with her around, and I wasn't as frightened."

He spoke simply, but Tahl heard a slight waver in his voice that whispered to her how much the words had cost him. Very slowly, she was beginning to pick up the pieces of what had happened to her friend in that week and a half of suffering. A combination of scars, and his own testimony-the involuntarily betrayal of his mind in the hours of vulnerable sleep- had lead her to see the things he had been reluctant to tell her, or claimed to have forgotten. And Tahl was seeing now that Qui-Gon remembered a great deal more than he admitted. 

"She says there was some sort of rebellion at the prison.." Qui-Gon went on, looking over at Shadow and swallowing. She was still eying Tahl and Li-Bird, but somewhat less intently, which relieved him. The creature seemed to have abandoned interest in her hunt, and taken to stripping pieces of tree bark off the branch next to her. "She said that afterwards everyone left. I'm assuming they headed for the village to help with the invasion..."

"Makes sense..."

Qui-Gon nodded vaguely, glaring down at the dust. He seemed to be daydreaming almost, looking at nothing, but Tahl knew from years of friendship that the cloudier her friends eyes got the harder he was concentrating. She waited.

"Shadow..." He whispered, finally looking up. "Shadow, you told me something in the cells...that you hated the Muh-Hadden, am I right?"

She released the bit of bark she had been shredding and it sailed down below to rest alongside the masticated carcass of the little butterfly. She locked eyes on Qui-Gon and froze. "Yes..." 

"That someday you wanted to destroy them?"

"Yes." 

Qui-Gon's stormy blue eyes gleamed. "Then will you help us?"

She paused a moment. Qui-Gon could almost see the memories of the prison stirring her face, and an old bitter wound reaching out to the surface; something buried deep under the primal loathing that had turned her mad. A flicker on her countenance passed as a flitting shadow of what once was, and truly, shadow was an apt name for it. Whatever she had been at one time had been obliterated, leaving only dark reflections. And the boy was certain that the Muh-Hadden had been responsible for whatever grievous thing that had formed her into what he now saw. Horribly he wondered if this would have been himself, had the torture gone on; an imploded star, a force sensitive turned to a swirling pool of dark insanity, formed by the cruelty of other beings. The thought made him shudder in spite of himself. It was a tormented and wretched fate Shadow had been forced to accept. Someone should be held accountable, he thought, watching her. Someone should have to pay. 

Finally Shadow flashed her fangs at him in something akin to a grim smile, and dropped out of her tree to land beside him. "Shadow will join the Man-child and Friend."

"Perfect." He was smiling broadly, boyishly almost, but his eyes had not lost their intensity. "I think I have a plan..."

~*~

Tahl and Qui-Gon made their camp on the far side of the wall, near the gate. A little outcropping of trees kept them hidden, and the tall, swishing grass around them made it a nice campsite. As soon as they had settled, Qui-Gon snapped off a dried stalk and drew a circle in the dust. "Alright, this is what I thought we could do." He glanced up to be sure Tahl and Shadow were watching. "Here's the village." He tapped the ground with his twig.

Tahl nodded, Li-bird squeaked, and Shadow sneezed. Taking that as a sign that everyone was listening, Qui-Gon etched another solemn line into the sand. "This is the gate...it will be the best guarded area....so we'll have to go in over the wall." He indicated a section of the circle. "And our main goal is the hanger, and ultimately, Tahl's ship." Qui-Gon dropped a rock into the center of the circle he had scrawled. "In the middle of the village." He leaned back and took a breath. "Now anyone have any idea how we're going to get in there?" 

The only sound from his listeners was Li-Birds peeps. Tahl stuffed a few berries off a bush next to her into the creatures beak, and the cries subsided into a gulp. "No clue."

"I was thinking we could use a distraction at the front gate..." He mused. "Shadow?"

The creature's dark eyes darted to his face. Light from the last rays of the sun caused them to almost glow. "Shadow will do as the Man-child asks."

"Alright, then it's settled. Shadow, you'll head for the guarded areas and draw them away, Tahl and I will sneak in to the hanger and make a break for the ship..."

Tahl looked quizzically at Qui-Gon and then at Shadow. "Man-child?" She seemed to be hiding amusement with a solemn face. 

Qui-Gon flushed a bit and straightened up, turning to Shadow who was getting to her feet. "You have got to stop calling me that. I've got a name you know." 

Shadow seemed uninterested. "So? It is what you are. Not quite man, a little bit still child. I know." She shrugged. "Shall Shadow use this name then?"

Qui-Gon suddenly felt uncomfortable, although he was not completely certain why. A very odd, unsettling thought came to him, and sank into his middle.

"Um...."

Shadow had been there. She had been in the cells, seen his weakest, most vulnerable moments. When he felt certain that his mind would break with the agony, when he wanted nothing more to die, when he had sobbed until his body had no tears left to give him, she had been watching. Shadow knew things he hadn't even told Tahl. A shudder ran through him as he looked into her alien face. He didn't want her to know his name. If she knew it, it made it all too real. It made it so those terrible things had happened to Qui-Gon, rather than a nameless half-grown human boy. And then he could no longer pretend. 

"I suppose it's only fair that you can call me whatever you'd like, since I call you Shadow." He shrugged, and offered a weak smile. Across from him, he saw Tahl look up at him questioningly, but she kept silent. 

Shadow too, cocked her head to the side in question. But she did not mention it either. Instead, she turned toward to the wood. "Shadow must hunt now, Man-child. But later tonight, Shadow will return." She stopped and her expression tightened. "And tomorrow will be the day we hunt Hadden." 

He nodded numbly. 

In the field, life was settling and stirring. The sun was past setting, although toward the horizon shards of pink light raked the dark curtain sky. The day birds had ceased their chattering, and a chorus of a new kind began, with insects and night creatures as they began to awaken for the night. Stars emerged, glowing pinpricks above them. It had gotten cooler. Li-Bird had ruffled her feathers up and was now sitting on Tahl's pack, perched on one foot, sleeping.

Qui-Gon stared across the dim field taking it all in. Suddenly he felt a hand take his own scarred one. It hadn't hurt, but he winced the same, giving a little gasp of surprise. Looking back, he saw Tahl. She was smiling shyly at him. Her soft hand had slipped perfectly into his.

Qui-Gon turned to her and smiled back, feeling a sort of warmth inside him when he looked at her. A fluttering, happy, healing sort of emotion filled him, and he assumed it could only be love. She took his other hand, and stood, pulling him to his feet with her, grinning.. "Come on."

"Come on where?" He laughed, allowing her to pull him out into the deep grass. 

"Anywhere!" Her eyes were full of laughter, reflecting the glittering stars above them. The velvet sky deepened over them, and she lead him further out into the field. Long grasses and wild flowers brushed their legs as they moved. "It's a beautiful night. Lets just get away from the woods. We've been in there too long." 

'I agree..." he whispered as he breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers and plants around them. "I've missed seeing the stars so clearly." 

They reached the center of the field and Tahl threw herself down into the soft grass. Qui-Gon flopped down next to her a few seconds later with a content sigh. 

She winked at him as he settled. "Your friend is an interesting character..." 

"Isn't she fun?" He smiled in a good-natured way. "But I'm eternally indebted to her for a drink of water in the cells." 

"I see..." Tahl plucked a flower out of the ground and twisted it's long stem. "Then I won't say a word about her manners." She smiled warmly up at him. "If she looked after you, even just a little bit, she's a friend of mine." 

He didn't answer and she sighed, picking another flower. "But that's not what you're brooding about, is it?"

Qui-Gon stared at the sky, looking for a release there, and finding none. "No." He turned his eyes away, looking anywhere but Tahl's gaze. "It's just...I don't like thinking about what happened there. Seeing Shadow again brought it all back." His face turned pale and he looked physically sick. "And Tahl..." he murmured, not even bothering to mask the tremble in his tone. "...we're going to break into the headquarters of the Muh-Hadden and steal a ship tomorrow! What if--" He stopped, taking a few deep breaths. His training took over and suddenly his voice was calm. "What if we see Conn?" 

"So what if we do?" Tahl shot back, something in her voice both strong and gentle. "We've got four of us now! At the very least we out number him!" 

Qui-Gon smiled humorlessly. "I doubt Li-Bird will get many kicks in, during a fight with Conn." 

"Qui-Gon...we're going to be fine. In and out. Nothing complicated. Conn isn't going to be able to touch us we'll be gone so quickly." Her eyes softened as she looked at him. "And don't worry." She leaned over and tucked the flower she has been twirling behind his ear. "I won't let him hurt you."

He smiled at her, although the grin did not reach his sad grey eyes. Ruefully, he rubbed his shoulder. "Although I really wouldn't enjoy another confrontation...and my shoulders would appreciate it even less, it isn't myself that I worry about." Qui-Gon brushed the flower lightly with his fingertips.

She picked out another, and tilted her head to one side to look at him. "Does it hurt?"

"Hm?"

"Your shoulders and everything...do they still hurt?" 

His brows came together in a furrowed line and he turned her words over in his mind. "It's not bad. Why?"

"And I'm feel great. That's the point. We're okay. We made it. We've come this far, and both survived haven't we? Don't worry." Tahl looked up from her plucking of petals to fix him with a stare.

Qui-Gon considered this a long moment, and then seemed to accept it with a nod. "I suppose we have come a long way."

"You suppose!" She scoffed, and toss a handful of the petals she had been tearing at him. "Besides, we've got Shadow on our side now." She grinned. "Isn't that enough?" 

Qui-Gon laughed and stood, feeling at least lighter if not entirely reassured. He shook petals out of his hair, and they fell around him in a shower."You're right. I was being silly. With Shadow and Li-Bird, they don't have a hope."

She laughed too, and hopped to her feet. "That's the spirit." 

It was now fully night. The twin moons hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the field. Qui-Gon scanned across the grasses and slowly smiled. "Look..." Little soft glowing orbs were slowly beginning to rise out of the forest. 

Tahl watched the little lights beginning to dance across the swishing grasses with fascination. "Qui-what are they?" She marveled, her eyes shining.

Qui-Gon laughed softly and crept toward the nearest little glowing fairy light. "Beautiful."

"I mean-" She scampered after him, swishing through the tall grass. "-what are they called? Oh, don't touch them!!" With reflexes like a flash of summer lightning, her friend had snatched a little glowing light out of the air and cupped it carefully in his big hands. "Qui-Gon!" She protested.

He grinned at her and then looked down at his clasped hands, which glowed as if they held in some magical power. "No...look..." He murmured, his voice low and excited. She peered over his shoulder as he opened his palms. The glowing light illuminated his face as what appeared to be a little glowing moth crawled across his hands. "It's a type of firefly."

Tahl scooted next to Qui-Gon watching with awe. "It's gorgeous. It looks almost pretend."Qui-Gon pressed his hand next to hers and the insect crawled onto Tahl's hand, flickering slightly. "I've never seen anything like it."

"You've never seen a firefly?"

"Not like this."

The little creature fluttered its tiny wings and was gone in a glowing flash to rejoin the host of fireflies now playing about the field, dancing with the moonlight. They were scattered far and wide across the landscape like pieces of shattered stars. Qui-Gon and Tahl made their way back to the campsite, to spend the rest of the night watching them. 

*

The morning before their attempted invasion was foggy and deary. It was as if the previous night had spent all the beauty the weather allowed for any extended period of time, and it was back to rainy mist. Shadow did not stay around long at the campsite, and despite her aversion to water of any kind, she wandered out into the rain to inspect the wall as only she could. Qui-Gon and Tahl were contented to spend the daylight hours huddled shivering under a blanket strung over a bush. Occasionally bursts of petty conversation parted the silence, but for the most the makeshift tent was quiet, heavy with thought of the feat they both were about to undertake. 

Morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon faded into evening. The drizzle slackened with the light, and Qui-Gon knew soon it would be time. Shadow appeared out of the fogginess, wet, but having found the perfect spot to scale the wall. They would all three go over, and then while Shadow took her vengence out on the guards, they would get into the hanger, and take the ship, picking up Shadow on the way out. 

As the darkness grew, they could wait no longer. In the twilight they would be able to get in without being noticed. Li-Bird was hidden carefully away in Tahl's pack. When it was time to move they crept like three silent phantoms across the field and along the wall. They followed it's winding expanse for a long few moments, following Shadow. 

Suddenly she stopped, and put a finger to her lips. In the semi-darkness of dusk she was almost invisible. Only her eyes glowed out from the black. She motioned toward the wall. "Shadow will check for safety." 

Before either Qui-Gon or Tahl could absorb these words she was gliding up the wall, her lithe body conforming to it's every dimension. Now Qui-Gon could see how easily she had maneuvered the prison. It wasn't a supernatural quality that got her in and out of the cells so effortlessly. Her body was amazing. He watched with something like awe as she slid like stray moonlight over the top and down the other side. Her feet did not even crunch the gravel as she landed. 

Her whisper came over the wall. "All clear. Man-Child next."

With less grace, Qui-Gon buried his fingers into a crack in the surface and pulled himself up the wall. His lacerated shoulders screamed agony as his body weight hung from them. He reached for another hold, but the rain had made everything slick. His fingers slipped.. He found himself grateful that the Muh-Hadden had taken his boots, as he dug his toes into the hold below him. 

"You alright?" Qui-Gon heard Tahl whisper below him, anxiously. Mild irritation flickered through him. He had climbed more difficult things as an eight year old! Of course he was alright. It was just that every nerve of him hurt at the present...

With a burst of willpower he scrambled the remaining distance up the wall, attempting to use the force. Before long he landed on the other side, shoulders shaking. 

Tahl followed him, moving more quickly and gracefully than he had, but when she landed on the other side he saw she looked pale too. Instead of prideful satisfaction, he felt a sense of empathy toward her, remembering the dart. Shoulder wounds hurt, large or small. 

They had come over into a cobblestone alleyway, behind some Philomel houses. The streets were deserted, and the few lanterns that lined the corners were weak. Qui-Gon turned to Shadow. 

"Know where you're headed?"

The creature nodded. "Will meet the Man-child in the hanger, when the Hadden are finished with. If they are to many, leave. Shadow can disappear if need be."

Qui-Gon took a long, shaking breath, trying to bite back the sudden panic he felt as Shadow melted into the darkness. This was it. They would get out of there that night or die trying. 

"Ready?" Tahl whispered. She was smiling, but he noticed she had her hands clasped to stop them from shaking. 

"Lets go."

They ran down the alley, and through the deserted streets, splashing through puddles and shadows. Qui-Gon whirled at footfalls behind them. It sounded as if a specter was chasing them, clinging to their heels. But their only pursuer was only their own footsteps echoing down the way behind them.

They rounded a bend and the eerie still was broken by the loud pinging of blaster rifles. Shadow had been found, or she had found the guards. Hunter and hunted were indistinguishable in this perverted game. Still, Tahl and Qui-Gon ran on. 

They passed a few larger buildings, and crisscrossed side-streets and alleys to avoid any Miuh-Hadden. They raced along passage after passage occasionally bounding over garbage units to hide from pedestrians. They both had at some point been inside the village, and both had a vague idea of where the hanger was...somewhere in the middle. They had to cross a few courtyards, but the Philomel were a poor race, and the village was small and rather primitively built, with lots of little side alley that all connected.

"Hey! You there!" A loud shout came from a man in a uniform but they continued to run for their very lives. Bright bolts of lethal light splashed across the cobblestones, and then suddenly ceased. Qui-Gon glanced back to see a dark shape darting away from the now-still guard. He grinned. _Nice one, Shadow._

They sprinted onward. Qui-Gon immediately recognized the great structure just a few blocks down. It was the only substantial building in the village. A large hanger with many little side buildings that connected to it stretched before them. On one side was a large watchtower. Immediately Qui-Gon could sense this was what they had been chasing after. He felt his heart rise in his chest, with fear and excitement.

As they drew closer to the building, Tahl flung out a hand to stop her friend. "Listen, you go ahead to the tower, and knock out the coding for my ship. I'm willing to wager it's the only Jedi craft in there, and the Muh-Hadden will have figured that out and locked down the systems. I'll sneak inside the actual hanger and make sure Clee's little shuttle isn't damaged." Her emerald gold eyes were almost glowing. This was the part she loved best. The grand escape. 

"I don't know anything about ship coding, you're the computer genius. Why don't you check out the tower?" Qui-Gon murmured, not wanting to split up, even less wanting Tahl wandering around by herself while Conn was somewhere in the vicinity. 

She shrugged. "You don't know what sort of ship it is. Clee checked me out on it before we left. I just need to make sure everything's still in shape." Tahl winked at him. "And if you can't decode anything, just unlock it manually." 

"Manually?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well...I mean, just hack at the control panel with your lightsaber." 

"And that will help?" The beginnings of a smile played on his anxious face. 

"Will help lower your stress level for sure, now get going!" She called over her shoulder. He gave her a half-amused, half-unsure glance but raced off toward the tower. Tahl watched him go, feeling her facade of jocular ease fade off her face. "Please be careful Qui-Gon..." She whispered after him, as if somehow her words could protect him. Then she turned to the hanger.

The sound of running feet caused her to jump behind a bin and hide as squad of muh-hadden guards ran past. She heard a few shouts crackle over their comm links as they passed.

"...creature by the main gate...reenforcements needed....repeat, send backup...."

She smiled. Shadow _had_ certainly made it easier for them. Swiftly she crept into the main hanger.

It was a large, open room with a few miscellaneous ships and speeders, most in a state of disrepair and scattered about. Long wooden beams supported the gigantic structure, and there were many little platforms and ladders on the walls. It seemed more a repair shop, than a working hanger. Large drums of crude fuel used in the Philomels primitive speeders were stored everywhere.

Tahl picked her way slowly through the hanger, glancing about for her small ship. She no longer needed to hide, the hanger was utterly deserted thanks to Shadow. Her footsteps echoed across the stone floor as she moved. Everything around her was eerily silent. She stopped. No...it was something else besides the unnatural silence. Something was wrong here.

"Conn." Qui-Gon had never described him to her, but in an instant she knew he was here. When she had been trying to heal Qui-Gon she had quite by accident tapped into some of his emotions, and she knew the feel of the boy's tormentor exactly. She drew her saber carefully. The blue blade snapped to life with a soft hiss.

Tahl felt the force scream to her and she dropped on sheer instinct. A blaster bolt arched over the place her head had been mere seconds ago. She flipped back up, and spun to face her assailant. Her saber blazed as she moved. 

A man stood at the far end of the hanger. In one hand he held a smoking blaster, the other, a long staff which Tahl could see was buzzing faintly in the dimness. He started toward her, walking slowly across the distance between them. His white hair was tied away from his thin face. His yellow eyes gleamed angrily out of the dusty gloom.

Tahl tightened her grasp on her saber and steeled herself for the fight, but the man moved casually. As he neared he spoke. "A she-Jedi." He muttered to her. "How very droll."

"Expecting someone else?" Tahl called out, her voice mocking. 

"Actually, this will do nicely." Conn, for, of course, that was who it was, was smiling his thin, snake-like smile and stopped walking a few paces from her. "Very nicely indeed."

"I suppose you've got me right where you want me?" She laughed hollowly and the noise echoed through the cavernous hanger. 

"Why, indeed I have." Conn hissed. "Your friend too. I can't believe you both were duped into this, after all your cleverness and hiding." He bared his teeth at her. "Oh yes, you heard me, the boy is walking straight into an ambush." 

Tahl paled, her bravado faltering a little. _Qui-Gon!_ "You're a coward! And you're going to die a coward!" She yelled, whirling her saber.

Conn in turn twirled his staff, and broken shards of light danced with him. It seemed to be a weapon, his rod, a specialized electro pole of some type, and when Tahl met his strike with her saber the pole did not snap as a usual weapon would under the heat of a saber. Puzzled, but not enough to falter, Tahl attacked again, spinning in her acrobatic style. Conn was forced to back off under her onslaught. "You're lying..." She gritted out. "You think you can set me off emotionally and win. It only shows how desperate you are."

Conn kicked out at her but she ducked smoothing, recovering herself. "You're kidding yourself Jedi. I broke your friend. I'll break you too."

She slashed at his head and then down at his feet. Conn staggered as he dodged her blows. "Yeah, right. I saw. You had to tie him down even after he'd been beaten unconscious." She spat at him. "Admit it! You were afraid! You were terrified of him!" Tahl screamed at him. 

Conn swung his staff again, rage contorting his ugly features. "You'll pay, you'll pay-you'll die screaming, you little-!"

Before Conn could finish his expletive Tahl had blocked him. The staff and saber locked, neither willing to give. 

But then the side door of the hanger opened, and both combatants turned to stare at the figure standing there. It was Qui-Gon. 

Tahl breathed out a sigh of relief at seeing him safe and Conn swore. But Qui-Gon did not move. He was staring at Conn, completely frozen. He did not blink. He did not breathe. 

A twisted sort of grin emerged on Conn's sweat streaked face. Tahl found herself suddenly filled with bitter rage. "Qui-Gon! Run!!!" She shrieked at him. "Get moving! I've got him! Get to the ship!" 

Qui-Gon still was standing motionless. His eyes still were fixed on Conn's as if in a trance. 

"Qui-Gon!" 

There was no change.

"GO!"

Conn saw his chance and did not miss it. Tahl's attention was on Qui-Gon. He swung his staff as hard as he could at her, while he had the opportunity. She didn't respond quickly enough. The length of the pole caught her directly in the mid section and Conn flung her slight body backward. 

Qui-Gon cried out.

Tahl slammed into the hanger wall and slide down it like a limp rag doll. She landed in a broken heap on the floor, unconscious or dead.

Qui-Gon was in her place in a flash, his face a mask as he flew at Conn with his fists. He was unaware of anything but that he hated this creature more than he had hated anything before. It was not the deep focused hatred Conn fought with, but rather a wild, grief-stricken rage, like that of some wounded animal. He did not recognize form or flow as he fought, but attacked with mad aggression, desperate to hurt any part of this man who had caused him so much agony. He would end it all here. He would kill this cruel thing now, with his bare hands if it came to it. He would spill Conn's blood. 

Made sloppy with anger, and still weakened, Qui-Gon was not much though, and it took the Muh-Hadden about five minutes to break through the Jedi's wild offensive and smash him in the face with his staff. The boy was went down with the force of the blow, and landed clumsily, one hand dropping back to break his fall, the other clutched over his face. Blood splattered the cobblestone floor.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze between them. Conn was staring transfixed at the bright crimson stain upon the stones, his yellowish eyes glowing. Qui-Gon pulled his hands away and stared too at the blood covering them. His nose was bleeding profusely. The sight of his own blood dripping down his hand seemed to return him to a cold reality. He looked up, and met Conn's eyes with his own blue fury. 

Then he drew his lightsaber. 

The green blade appeared suddenly in an wide arc as Qui-Gon twirled it. He thrust the blade forward and flipped to his feet again, not losing the rhythm of the fight as he did. Conn was thrown off from the sudden beam of deadly light sailing toward him, and stumbled backward a few paces to counter this new attack. The boy advanced, clipping the blade left, and then right again as he moved forward. Blood trickled down his face and was illuminated by the ghostly light of his saber. 

He struck out again, and Conn leapt back, blocking with his staff. The two energies smashed together, and neither gave. Splatters of light and blood danced around the two blades. No one gave an inch. The connection was broken as Qui-Gon kicked out, and then attacked at a new angle. They fought with a ferocious passion and grace that can only be witnessed in a duel for life and death. Both were beyond exhaustion or pain in their battle, completely focused on the strokes and parries of their fight. Across the stone floor and back again, each matched blow for blow. 

Conn suddenly found himself uneasy. Qui-Gon wasn't tiring as he should be, and the Muh-Hadden couldn't keep up much longer. This boy he had taken so much pleasure in hurting was more formidable opponent than he had ever realized. Every time he attempted to drive him back, he rebounded with even more angry passion and energy than before. His face looked completely dark and deranged, with his eyes flashing, and blood still flowing from his nose. Conn knew he had to do something to end the fight quickly.

Thinking fast, he scrabbled up a ladder onto a ledge. Now was about time for his getaway. Conn laughed hoarsely, and kicked the ladder down so Qui-Gon could not follow. As much fun as killing the brat would have been, things had grown out of control. 

But then...suddenly...out of the corner of Conn's eye, he saw a flash of green light. Incredulously, he turned. Qui-Gon was now standing on the ledge too, his eyes glowing out of the gloom at him with their strange light. His pants for breath echoed in Conn's ears. He had....jumped?! 

Conn thrust his staff at the young Jedi in complete shock and the instinct that drove this attack perhaps made it his most accurate. Though Qui-Gon ducked, the buzzing staff caught the hilt of his saber. The sharp edge sliced into the top of the hilt and the saber deactivated with a hiss. 

Qui-Gon stared at the lightsaber clutched in his hand for a moment. Desperately he thumbed the button but the activator only crackled uselessly. He looked up, his eyes suddenly wide and panicked. 

Conn was grinning. He advanced slowly, never moving his predatory gaze off of the boy's face. Qui-Gon stepped backward slowly, but there was no where to go. Conn swung his staff, and the Jedi ducked and kicked out in desperation. His foot slammed into Conn's chest. The Muh-Hadden flew backward with a shriek of surprise. 

He fell.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes as he heard the sickening thud which signaled that Conn had hit to the cobblestones below. He waited, not daring to breathe. The hanger was silent except for the steady plopping noise of his blood dripping from his nose. Cautiously, he peered over the edge of the platform. 

Conn lay in a crumpled heap, silent and motionless. Qui-Gon used the force to drop lightly off the ledge, and walked timidly over to the body. He stared at it, in complete shock. The evil yellow eyes were shut tightly, and a thin trickle of blood ran out of the corner of the Muh-Hadden's thin mouth. _I...killed him?_

A mixture of horror and thrill surged through him. He had killed him. He had wanted to kill him. 

But then he remembered Tahl. Qui-Gon gasped and ran to the far side of the hanger.

He threw himself to the ground at her side, desperately taking her limp hand in his own, pulling her against him. She was so light, so delicate in his arms; so lifeless. Qui-Gon felt desperate tears well up in his eyes. His trembling fingers groped for a pulse.

For a moment, time seemed to hold its breath., spinning out until it meant nothing. His body was numb to everything except the immobilizing fear that surged through him like icy water, weighing down his limbs. In that frozen eternity he knew deep in his heart that he would lose a piece of himself if he lost her. He didn't dare breathe.

Then, finally! There it was, a soft flutter against his fingers. He felt lightheaded with relief, but wouldn't let himself savor the feeling. He scooped her up and carried her over to where her pack lay. 

He lay her against him and dripped some water onto a cloth. Qui-Gon gently dabbed her cheeks with it, trying to bring her around. Suddenly he froze. Something was desperately wrong. 

Behind him, there was a soft whine as a blaster powered up.

"Well, well, Little Jedi, it's been a merry chase, but now it all ends." Conn's voice rang out mockingly, echoing across the courtyard. The Muh-Hadden pointed the blaster at the boys' back. "No more running, no more hiding, no more of your tricks and games, and best of all, no more *you!* " The man chuckled, a dry bitter sound, unlike laughter at all. 

Qui-Gon kept his eyes closed, and his back turned, holding Tahl tightly. He tried to ignore Conn's words, but it seemed the less attention he gave them the more they burned into his mind. In his arms, the girl stirred. He whispered a word to quiet her.

"You have this most irritating tendency to not die. I don't understand it, frankly. There's nothing special about you, yet somehow you and your friend made it this far..." His voice was now full of deadly rage, his teeth grounding together audibly. "A scrape of a boy, and a half-bred little wench." 

Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open, blazing blue fury. His hand instinctively felt for the cold metal of his lightsaber. But no...his weapon lay in two pieces somewhere on the hanger floor. 

"Now, now, none of that." The blaster nudged him. "Did you think you had killed me? Did you really think you could make it off planet?" Qui-Gon's silence was beginning to seriously irritate Conn. "Did you think you had escaped?" The boy remained motionless, his back still turned. 

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you, whelp!" Conn screeched, striking him across the face and knocking him backward. Qui-Gon broke his fall on one hand and met Conns' wicked yellow eyes with a look of barely contained rage. 

Conn spoke again. The hand holding the blaster, now aimed at Qui-Gons' chest, did not shake. "But you have taught me something by your sad adherence to life. That is, to never leave your enemies alive, however barely." He took a step forward. "I would like to make you suffer. Especially after all the trouble you caused..." The man shook his head slowly. "But I will not. Instead, I'm going to kill you. And then I'm going to kill you again." The tip of the blaster glowed. "Just to be sure." 

The boy squeezed his eyes shut. This was it. There was no escape now. They had come so far, but Conn was right; it was end game. In a few seconds he would be joining the force, and Qui-Gon Jinn would cease to exist.

But no. It would not be surrender. Fierce defiance welled inside him, and his eyes opened. He would die like a Jedi, if he had to die. And he would protect Tahl at all costs. Qui-Gon turned away from Conn, shielding his friend with his body. Then came the flash of light that signaled the end of his life.

Time seemed to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces with the flash. The white hot light raced towards him, unalterable on it's lethal path. Someone screamed. Qui-Gon saw everything race before his eyes in that eternal moment, and he felt keenly the Living force surge within him. He could sense it all, the energy in the weed struggling to grow between the cobblestones, Tahl breathing beside him, Conn's eyes glowing with the light of the blaster fire. He felt keenly in the second his own heartbeat and the burning knowledge that the warm life within his was about to be extinguished. Then the bolt struck him.

The next instant, all he could feel was pain. White hot agony seemed to crash into his body like an unbearable storm, and he heard himself cry out something between a moan and a sob. Instinctively he curled into a dying ball, wrapping his arms around his wounded side and shaking. Each breath was torture. Consciousness began to ebb away from him as he passed back into the familiar world of gray and blur. Vaguely, he supposed he was dying.

Dazedly and perhaps by accident in pained delirium, he looked up, seeing the fuzzy image of Conn standing over him. Triumph shone on the wicked man's narrow features. The blaster leveled with Qui-Gon's head.

"Didn't finish you off, eh? Well let's try again then. After all, I promised to kill you twice." The words echoed as if from far off, but the meaning was all too clear. Qui-Gon raised his head to met Conn's eyes feebly. The blue eyes were in fact, now quite wide, involuntary tears of pain spilling out of them, as he looked up. The defiance held in them was replaced with something heartbreaking.

It was a child's terror; full and uncomprehending.

If perhaps Conn had even a shred of pity in him, the look on the boy's face would have stopped him in his tracks. However, the Muh-Hadden had always prided himself on a certain lack of mercy. He squeezed the trigger.

__

If it helps I feel awful about leaving it this way. But worry not, part 17, Master's Wrath, shall be out quickly. A good deal of it's already written. And I made this part extra long to make up for the cliffhanger, see? :D I'm reader friendly…right? Right?! J Anyway Kite 17 will be soon, and in the meantime you can amuse yourselves by reading "JESS'S WACKY FUN STAR WARS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FANFIC" which will be posted soon as well. :D Happy December!


	17. Master's Wrath

Happy New Year everyone! ^_^ I hope you enjoy this second to last installment of Kite. I spent most of my holidays working on it… (locked up in small dark room, typing away, with only Qui-Gon cutout to talk to…not good for jess! Not good for jess… computer screen so bright…so shiny…my precioussssss….ACK!) I even forfeited my holiday fic so I could finish it! *waits for praise* See, that makes up for the bad cliffhanger and shooting Qui and all that, right? Right…? Okay, I will cease babbling and get to the fic now. Enjoy! And, as always, thank you readers so much for your kind reviews… Just a few comments…

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Lay'ren: Sticks and stones, luv. :P I am not evil! I'm just misguided, and I have your twisted influence to blame for that! No, no, all joking aside, thank you for your words and enthusiasm.

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Athena Leigh: ^_^ Thank you for all your wonderful words! Well, I hope this chapter is able to resolve the little mess to your approval. :D thanks again for your faithful support!

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Yaebginn: Yes, sorry about the length of time between updates… (blush) hopefully the final chapter will be out the fastest, since I've almost finished that one already.

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BecJedi: ^_^ hugs to you for all that. Thank you so much for all your beta work …and even on top of all the beta/feedback you give me, you still make time to review. I hope you like what I've changed with chapter 17. 

…now, on with the show!

Qui-Gon could see Conn as if he were looking through a cloud. He saw the gun blast again, and braced himself for death. 

But it did not come. 

There was a flash of green light between himself and Conn. The shot was… blocked?!

The Muh-Hadden screamed out with rage. He could see the bolt of light meant for him fly back out into the darkness, having been diverted. The boy stared at the beam of glowing green in confusion. He could not fathom what had just happened. The flash of green...a lightsaber?

He felt the force move around him, brushing his consciousness, but it was not him who was controlling it. He watched Conn fall backwards with it's strength. For a moment, all was silent except the buzzing of the saber protecting him. Then the beam lowered, and a warm, very real hand dropped out of the nothing and rested on his bare shoulder. He found himself staring into dark, familiar eyes...

...Dooku's eyes.

Qui-Gon felt a rush of dizziness. He stared blankly at his Master, unable to form words; quite mute with shock. Everything was suddenly spinning around him. He felt sick. 

"Be still. Are you wounded? 

He felt a catch in his throat as he looked up. A strange feeling rose within his chest. He knew this... It was familiar to him. It was something he recognized. It felt like home. 

Dooku had come for him. After everything, Dooku was here. 

Qui-Gon stared up for a long moment. He struggled to find his voice. "M-master?"

"Yes."

"Oh...." He did not know what to think. There was a wave of pain from his side and his vision blurred and wavered. The image of Dooku flickered and then disappeared, like a hologram, fading into nothing. Inside him he felt a flash of panic..and then....nothing. A sense of apathy descended on him like a fog. It was odd...just a moment ago it had seemed so desperately important to talk to Dooku...and now...nothing really felt important. Qui-Gon just wanted to sleep, sleep for a long time and perhaps never awaken. He didn't even feel the impact of his body against the hard stone floor as he passed out. 

Dooku peered down at his unconscious padawan concernedly. "Padawan?" He shook his apprentice's shoulder lightly "Qui-Gon are you alright?" The boy was out cold. For a few moments, Dooku didn't understand. Then his eyes strayed to the blaster burn, the boy's thin chest, the scars... For an eternal moment, he watched him. Something within the connection of their minds snapped. Bond, memory and pain blended and swirled, and in his heart, Dooku began to understand what had happened. The Muh-Hadden. What had this man done?

__

Or perhaps, what have you allowed him to do? Dooku stared down at his shaking hands a sinking feeling of guilt and despair welling inside him. _Betrayer..._ "No!"

He rose and turned, his dark eyes bloodied with rage. 

A few meters away, Conn was stumbling to regain his fighting position, flailing out with his staff. Dooku's sudden appearance had thrown him off. True fear was beginning to stir in his cold black heart, and his mind flared with the adrenaline rush of self-preservation. Something in this new Jedi's eyes told the Muh-Hadden it was time for his actions to be counted. 

Dooku stepped toward him slowly, never taking his eyes off Conn. His footfalls echoed through the hanger as he approached, finally stopping a distance before Conn. He drew his saber in an elegant sweep, his face illuminated by the greenish light. The blade twirled in an ancient salute and came to rest pointing downward, at the ready. 

"So...you fancy yourself a sword man with that little stick of yours?" Dooku whispered, softly, dangerously. "Excellent. I am certain Qui-Gon would not object to me finishing his duel." 

"I beat the whelp...I can beat y-" Conn would have liked to finish his sentence but found his mouth was rather dry suddenly. He knew somewhere in the Jedi's code they were forbidden to kill in anger...but a look at this Jedi told him that he was marked for death. Conn attempted to say something more, but he was paralyzed by those terrifying eyes. His mind buzzed with panic. The only option left to him was to turn and flee.

With a flash of the saber Dooku was moving, his footwork flawless as he crossed the space between them. The lightsword moved like a mere extension of his arm, swirling and blurring in a blinding display as it hummed toward it's prey. "Beat my whelp, did you? Well let's try something else, if Qui-Gon was too easy for you..."

Conn ran toward the platform he had leapt on during his fight with Qui-Gon but remembering how easily the boy had jumped it, decided on another route. The only escape would be to get to his personal speeder on the other side of the base. If he could get out of the hanger alive...

He raced back into the fuel storage area, looking for a hiding place. He ducked behind a storage tank.

Dooku spun the blade faster, getting closer. "You're delaying the inevitable." His face was a mask of cold wrath as he sliced air to get at Conn. "Come out and face me."

In desperation, the Muh-Hadden began firing blaster bolts at the Jedi Master, but his shots came back, deflected, and he had to duck to avoid being struck by his own bolt. A few of the shots that went awry smashed into the fuel tanks. Fire exploded around them. 

The master smiled grimly, his face illuminated by the flames as the fire grew, hungrily licking up the stored fuel. He slashed at a few more tanks, adding to the inferno. He would burn this beast out if he must. Little pools of spilt fuel on the floor ignited into mini blazes, and the wooden hanger would soon be aflame. But Dooku seemed to have lost any thought besides that of the rage stirring in his blood.

As the smoke plumed and grew, and Conn knew he could no longer hide. He charged out of his now fiery hiding spot and toward Dooku. Their blades met with a tangle of sparks and heat. 

Back and forth they fought across the burning hanger, Dooku dominating the fight, Conn searching desperately for a means of escape. The Jedi Master would not give an inch, would not yield a fraction of floor. The fires grew around them, climbing higher as they fed on the oily, combustible substances the hanger was filled with. And the higher the flames climbed the more doomed Conn knew he was. 

Dooku seemed to be in an impenetrable trance as he twirled and fought amongst the inferno. It seemed the very sight of Conn only fueled the all-consuming fire of his rage, as the image of his unconscious, broken child buzzed in his mind. It was this man who had turned this test into hell, it had been him! His saber missed Conn narrowly and he turned and struck again. He would burn this evil place to the ground, and all in it. 

~*~

Tahl coughed weakly as smoke filled her lungs. Her eyes began to water and soon the tears from the smoke turned to tears of frightened confusion as she tried to find her bearings. She had been slowly coming to during the battle, but the only thing she really remembered of it was a certain flash of light from a blaster bolt, speeding toward her crumpled friend. And that image alone was too much. 

She eased her bruised body up, her temples pounding as she did. Her only thought was Qui-Gon, and whether he was dead or alive. Everything that made her who she was had frozen and then melted to nothing the moment she had seen the light of the blaster fire. Now she felt empty with fear. As she tried to rise, another violent paroxysm of coughing seized her and she shudder\ed and gasped for a lung full of clean air. The atmosphere in the hanger had gone from dangerous to stifling. It was heating up like a furnace and the smoke was nearly impenetrable. Her watering eyes searched in vain for any trace of her friend. 

And then she saw him. Nearly obscured by smoke, he was lying limply on his side, unmoving, not even as the fire inched closer. A blaster wound on his other side told it's own tale.

Tahl tried to call his name desperately, but all that came out of her mouth was a little choked cry. She managed to crawl slowly over to him, although the heat made the going nearly unbearable. If Qui-Gon was alive he wasn't going to be much longer, she thought, hearing the roar of the flames. The smoke made it almost impossible to see, even though her friend lay only a few feet from her. 

The only thing Tahl knew for certain were the rough stones under her fingers. Fear was suffocating her just as surely as the smoke from the flames. After everything...to come this far and then lose... She tried not to think about what would happen if she found Qui-Gon dead. Little memories stirred inside her like ash; smokey, and easily disintegrated with the touch of a hand, yet still potent. 

__

Laughter, as they stumbled through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, with their friends. These faces were clear to her, cheerful and friendly. It was so bright, so alive there...so different from this burning place, filled with so much pain, and rage ...and ash. 

Finally her hand touched something soft and she knew she had reached Qui-Gon. He had been nearly lost to her in the smoky haze. Tahl huddled against his still body, fearing the worst. She didn't know how long he and Conn had been alone. She didn't know what she would find. _Let him be alive..._

His eyes were closed, his face, pale and strangely bluish in spite of the flickering flames dancing around them. A thin trickle of blood ran from his nose down the side of his face. Her heart seemed to fall through her. Desperately, Tahl draped her hand over his mouth, over his broken nose. For a moment she felt nothing. 

Then warm moisture stirred against her palm. He was breathing, if only barely. Her spirit soared. 

Even so, he had been inhaling almost straight smoke for a good amount of time. She was not surprised when he gave no response to her ministrations. Tahl coughed and tried to pull him towards the exit or at least away from the fire, but as limp as he was it was difficult. The smoke made it hard to draw proper breath, and she felt the weakness in her muscles. Finally, panting, she gave up trying to budge him.

"Qui-Gon...please...I can't do this." She slumped against him hopelessly. The fire grew more intense around her and she fought back the urge to cry. It was getting so hot... her eyes were streaming from the smoke. But she could no more leave her friend here to die than she could burn her own heart away. 

"Get up...come on..." she shook him, tears starting to mark her sooty cheeks. "Please, or we're both going to die..." A burning beam from the ceiling crashed down to the floor near them and she found herself screaming. "Qui-Gon!" 

Under her she felt his chest suddenly expand as he took a breath. Looking up, she saw wide grey eyes staring into hers. Qui-Gon gave a small gasp and then another. Ragged spots of color blossomed on his cheeks. 

Tahl was nearly sobbing with relief as she wrapped an arm around his shaking shoulders. "Just breathe..." she whispered to him as he choked and coughed on the smoke. "Take a few deep breaths, you'll feel better I promise."

He moaned, weakly pushing her away and rolling onto his stomach, face against the stone floor. His chest shook with spasms as he choked and wheezed, trying to clear his lungs of the black smoke. With every agonized expansion of his ribs came shooting pain from the wound on his side.

Tahl meanwhile kept one hand on his shoulder, rebuffing his efforts to push her away. She continued to murmur to him in the same quiet, broken tones. "You're okay, it hurts but the wound isn't bad, merely a graze really. Keep breathing."

He wearily coughed into his hand, his eyes streaming. "...can't....force...hurts..." Qui-Gon croaked. He was regaining color, but his breathes came in quick gasps as his body struggled feebly to compensate for the lack of oxygen. "Tahl...let me just...die."

"You don't really mean that. Come on... the hanger is going to collapse." As if to agree with her, another beam crashed down in a shower of flame and spark. "You've got to get up." 

A tear rolled down his sooty cheek, followed by another. "No...you don't...." He choked out the words, nearly sobbing. "...understand...I'm just...tired of it all. It hurts...tired of hurt...leave...I'm....done..." Qui-Gon buried his head in his arms gasping for breath. 

But Tahl did not leave. Instead she wrapped her arm tighter, and curled her body up closer to his. "You might think you're done... but life isn't done with you..." She worked her arms around so that her friend was entwined by them. She was crying with fear but her hold on him was eternal. "And I won't ever let you go."

Another fit of coughing took him and he barely managed to shake his head no. Around them the flames grew. Tahl cast about desperately for some escape. In the distance, she thought she could hear her name being called. She felt a wave of panic pass over her at that, perhaps the smoke was beginning to really get to her. But then she heard the call again, this time crying out Qui-Gon's name. She knew it was no illusion. "Qui-Gon-"

He looked up. "I heard it too..." The boy's voice was hoarse, but a bit of faint hope in his tone made it different. "...what...what do you think?" 

"Either we both are having the same dream or someone..." She wiped at her eyes anxiously. "...someone know's we're in here and cares." Tahl tightened her grip on his shoulder although it was unclear if she was supporting him, or he supporting her. "Let's get out of here."

"I'm starting to think..." Sweat glistened on his forehead as he continued to choke for breath. "...that you may be right about that."

Tahl breathed out her relief and helped him up."Of course I'm right. Ugh, where'd Conn go?" 

"Dunno, don't care," he gasped. "It's getting...hot." Qui-Gon winced as he stood. 

The pair headed through the billowing smoke to the exit on the far side, staggering and stumbling. Embers glowed around them, snapping as they passed. When they reached the heavy door, Tahl plunged her sapphire blade into it, and it melted away. They spilled out into the clean night air, coughing.

Qui-Gon collapsed, and Tahl behind him. They lay side by side, regaining their breath, while fire consumed the hanger even more completely behind them. The cool air revived them.

Suddenly a dark shape appeared out of the darkness around them. Tahl looked up, her shaking head clutching at her saber, but when she saw who it was, the weapon dropped from her fumbling fingers.

"Azul! Master!" 

A lovely Twi'Lek came into focus, elegant head tails swishing as she moved, golden eyes gleaming with worry. Her bluish skin was mostly covered with a dark tunic of leather, and long strands of colored beads completed her outfit, jingling off her tunic as she moved. The woman's blue saber glowed out of the gloom. "Tahl!" Her accent was strange, even for her species. "Qui-Gon?" She gasped out in surprise.

Tahl rushed to Azul's side, throwing her arms about her Master. "Yes, yes, It's me. Qui-Gon's here too, but he's hurt..."

The Jedi Master shook her head. "Thou both are lucky ones. We shall see to thy friend in a moment. This hanger is unstable-nigh collapsed already. Follow me." She guided them both away from the burning building, her beads and headtails swaying with her careful steps. 

Tahl and Qui-Gon followed the Jedi closely, almost stepping on her heels as they went. 

A few paces later she spoke again. "Where is Master Dooku? Did he not go in to find thee both?"

Qui-Gon spoke up, his voice trembling. "Dooku-my master is here?" 

Azul turned her keen eyes to him. "Aye, he did come for thee. Ye did not see him, then?"

Qui-Gon thought back to the battle with Conn, and the flash of green light in front of his vision. He remembered the sound of Dooku's voice in his ears. At the time, he had assumed it was a dream. But now his heartbeat fluttered, and his pace quickened as he struggled to match Azul's stride. "Wait-Master Azul, he's still in there!" He stared back in horror at the hanger, which was now completely

engulfed in flames. The memories came back in a rush, and suddenly the boy understood. "He went after Conn. They're both still in there."

"Oh....no."Azul's gold eyes widened a moment as part of the roof structure crumbled. 

Qui-Gon turned. "Master Azul?!"

The Jedi Master stared at the flames for a long moment. "Tis nothing we can do, Qui-Gon." She whispered. "Dooku's a Jedi, he will take care of himself."

"That's-no!" He choked out, starting back toward the inferno. "No, no, that doesn't work! We've got to do something! He'll die...I can't leave him to die..." 

Azul moved so quickly neither Tahl nor Qui-Gon caught it. She pinned the young Jedi's arms behind his back, and effectively restrained him with one quick move. "Do not be foolish." She whispered into his ear, firmly, but gently. "Thou would be dead from the smoke before thee could even find thy master. Be still."

"But he's going to die, don't you understand!" Qui-Gon yelled, fighting her grip for all he was worth. But it was not enough. She did not budge. Tears came to his eyes. He knew too well that feeling of being abandoned, of being lost. He remembered clearly those long hours in the cells, watching the door, so sure that any moment it would open and a familiar face would come to his rescue. He remembered the broken realization that no one was coming. Qui-Gon would not abandon his master as he had been abandoned, even if it was too late. "Please, please let go, if he dies, it's the last straw, and my life's not worth living anyway, let me go..." The hands remained fast around his wrists. Tears began to trickle down his cheeks. "_Please,_ he's my _master..._" The boy's voice broke with the word, and he felt his strength give out.

Beside them, Tahl looked stricken. But she knew Azul was right. To go back in would mean death. But then again, she fully believed that to lose his master on this mission of hell would destroy Qui-Gon as surely as if he did go back inside. Her heart broke for her friend. Her eyes stung as she stared into the blazing hanger. 

And then, there! Out of the thick, black smoke she could make out a familiar figure striding toward them. Out of her side vision she saw Qui-Gon break away from Azul and raced toward his Master. 

Dooku was soot-stained and sweaty, but looked unharmed. Qui-Gon felt himself nearly collapse with relief at the tall, confident figure of his mentor. As the man approached, words tumbled out. "Master! Are you alright?"

Dooku had frozen at the sight of his padawan. Qui-Gon looked positively wretched. He was shirtless and bleeding freely, shaking with shock, pain, or exhaustion; perhaps all three. One eye was swelling nicely, quite blackened by some punch in the fray. In addition to the boy's obvious injuries, Dooku noticed that he was thinner than he had ever seen him, and there was something....something _different_ in his eyes. He reached out a hand to steady the trembling apprentice. "I'm fine..." Dooku murmured, searching Qui-Gon's face. "Are _you_ alright?"

Qui-Gon simply stared at him for a long moment. Then he dropped to his knees sobbing. 

Tahl immediately moved forward to comfort her friend, but Azul caught her by the shoulder and shook her head no. Tahl looked confused, but her master was unyielding. She lead her away from the pair, with only a glance over her shoulder at Dooku. _Do something._

The other Master had been staring, shocked, down at his crying padawan. At Azul's look he abruptly dropped down next to the boy, and awkwardly patted him on the back. "Qui-Gon...Padawan...it's alright..." Dooku wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and the boy collapsed helplessly into his arms. 

He had never seen Qui-Gon cry before. It frightened him a little bit. He eased his robe off and folded it around the apprentices bare shoulders, embracing him more fully. He could feel how thin the boy was through the robe. 

"Here. Just...calm down." 

Qui-Gon coughed miserably into the fabric and shut his eyes. "Master..." He nestled down into the robe. "You're actually here. I...thought...I thought you wouldn't come...when I talked to you...you cut me off...I couldn't...couldn't feel ...bond...I told you, I told you, I'm not dead, see?" The young Jedi hiccuped dolefully. "Oh, I don't feel well." 

Dooku nodded, pretending to understand the padawan's disjointed sentences, only really catching the last phrase. "I know you don't. It's alright now though. The healers will see to it that you feel better." He looked down hopefully at his apprentice to see if his words would have any effect. He had never pretended to be a comforting individual. Compassion has always been a hard concept for him. He had almost been thankful when he first met Qui-Gon, that the boy seldom sought out reassurance from others, seemingly to find it from an internal source. It was not, of course, that Dooku did not care...but he hadn't any idea of what to tell the sobbing child.

Qui-Gon shook his head in reply, far too worn out to really comprehend anything Dooku said anyway. His eyes drifted closed and he slept. 

Dooku sighed in relief, scooping his light apprentice up and turning to Azul and Tahl. "Is anyone else injured?"

Azul nodded, keeping one hand on Tahl's shoulder as if she were expecting her to do something very rash, or disappear in a puff of smoke. "The both of us are fine, more than ye can say, Dooku. Singed, art thou?" She raised a smooth eyebrow, motioning to Dooku's leg. 

"Merely a burn." He muttered, color only slightly visible on his cheeks, the tiny betrayal of his irritation.

Azul nodded. "And where is the one ye sought?" 

Dooku began to limp off, his eyes narrowing as he went. "No idea. Lost him in the fire. Most likely dead. And what did you accomplish then, my blue friend?" 

Tahl whirled to stare at Dooku, incredulously, but then she saw that Azul was smiling. 

"Ah, someone had to keep the guards out of thine hair, Master Dooku." She bowed, giving him a little quirk of the lips. "Now come, bring thy boy, the healers have just landed." 

Dooku smiled wanly back, and followed her toward the sound of the ship's engines. 

~*~

Qui-Gon opened his eyes blearily, not quite remembering what had last happened. He was leaning up against a stone wall, a small lantern illuminating the space around him, his master's large robe wrapped around his shoulders. He rubbed his eyes, wincing, unsure how long he had been sleeping. He could see shapes looming out of the night; a little squad of what he recognized as Philomel, his master, Azul, and a blond human woman, all talking together. Snatches of conversation drifted in and out...

"...but then, are they gone for good?"

"...the Jedi will need to send someone eventually to help with the..."

"But they are now divided amongst themselves, they will be easy to destroy completely, thanks to that child of yours..."

"...we are not here to eradicate the Muh-Hadden, we are here to return our own..."

Qui-Gon shut his eyes. Their loud voices were hurting his pounding head. He wished he could go back to sleep. When he opened them again, there was someone beside him. He squinted curiously at a young girl, not quite comprehending. She had blond hair, and her sharp brown eyes were fixed on him. He felt he knew her somehow, but he couldn't place her face in his jumbled thoughts."Who are you?" 

She laughed softly, and flashed her pretty smile, and he felt a surge of recognition. "Oh, Ro, it's you, I thought so." He nodded sleepily.

Ro crouched beside him, pressing a hand against his temple and keeping the same small smile on her face. "Hello Qui-Gon. Good to see you awake."

He looked up at her piteously. "Wish I wasn't..." 

"Bad day?" She raised her eyebrows.

He let out a shaking breath, closing his eyes and attempting to let go of the pain. "You have no idea..."

"Well, my master's here all the way from Coruscant, to stick you back together, that's good news, right?" Ro brushed her blond hair behind her ears, pulling out a datapad and beginning to type in some information. 

"Guess so."

She gave him a quick smile. "You'll feel better soon. Alright...name?"

He stared at her a long moment. "Pardon?"

"Your name. I need your personal information for healer's records." She was still grinning. "That would be Qui-Gon Jinn, correct?"

He closed his eyes, leaning back against the cool stone. "That would be it."

"Age?" There was laughter in her voice.

"Eighteen....almost."Qui-Gon frowned at her. They had been classmates and friends through initiate training. Of course she knew his age...

"Name of your master?"

"Ro!" He moaned.

This time she actually laughed."Fine, make me do all the work." She typed in the remaining answers onto the sheet, and then began to fill out the medical form. A long silence followed, the only noise being that made by her typing.

Finally Qui-Gon spoke up. "Thanks for coming, Ro. You and your master." He whispered. "I didn't think any healers would show up. I guess I thought everyone forgot about me." Qui-Gon tried to say it lightly, as if he were amused by the idea, but his voice wavered tellingly. He painstakingly attempted another half smile. 

The young healer grimaced as she inspected the wound on his side. "Of course we came." She looked up and her eyes were focused with intensity. "And the temple would never forget about you. Healers code, we never leave a Jedi behind."

"Oh...." Qui-Gon breathed in, a buoyancy rising in his chest. A Jedi... So many times with the Muh-Hadden, Jedi had been a curse, an insult spat at him. Now he felt a sense of pride. He was a Jedi. The feeling of belonging swelled inside him. The pain didn't matter for a moment. 

"Mm-hm." Ro tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she continued to assess the boy's condition, making little notes on her data pad. If she noticed a change in his demeanor she did not speak it. Instead she clacked in another entry into the pad. He was in rather bad shape, Willow would have her work cut out for her. Pausing momentarily, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her, the girl glanced up."Break your nose again, Qui?" She managed to make her voice sound casual, but the beginnings of a grin were on her face.

"A Muh-Hadden _broke_ my nose." He said in a reproachful voice, touching it gingerly. "You make it sound like I did it on purpose or walked into a wall or something..."

She laughed softly. "Your record precedes you in this case. I was just asking." 

"Hm..." He winced slightly as she felt for the break. "It's not my problem people seem to go for the nose." 

"Yeah, yeah..." 

"Hey...you're blonde now." Qui-Gon said, looking up at her newly dyed hair abruptly, and grinning. "Looks good."

"I've been talking to you for five minutes and you just noticed?" She glanced up with laughing eyes. "Well, do you like it? Thought I needed a change." 

"It looks very nice..." Qui-Gon murmured. All of the sudden he felt unsteady; sick. It seemed as if the pain he had held back for so long had just now broken through. 

Ro saw it on his pale face. "Qui-Gon, are you alright?" She stretched out a hand toward him.

"I..." He swallowed, wincing. "...I don't know...feel...suddenly...dizzy." There was the familiar spinning sensation accompanied with creeping darkness in his vision. He almost groaned aloud. He was so sick of passing out. He squeezed his eyes shut, putting a hand to his temples. With his left hand he batted her away. She caught his flailing hand in her own, trying to calm him.

He gave a little gasp of pain when her slim fingers closed around his own. His eyes darted up, wide and violated. The young healer felt the breath catch involuntarily in her throat as she saw his maimed palm. Her horrified gaze locked on his. They stared at each other for a long moment. 

Then Ro spoke; her voice quiet and unsure, but not shaking. "Master, I think I'm going to need your help."

The Master Healer broke off her conversation with Dooku to stride over and kneel next to Qui-Gon and her apprentice. "What's up?" Willow said in a low tone, placing a firm hand on Qui-Gon's forehead. 

Qui-Gon pitched forward a bit with a small moan. "I think I'm....ugh..." His eyes began to slide closed.

"Hey, quit that, I need you awake..." Willow frowned and let him lean his weight against her. "When was the last time you ate anything, kiddo?" Qui-Gon only sighed into her shoulder, trying to hold his precarious grip on consciousness. The healer went on. "That's what I thought. It's all too much for your body. You're going to need some painkillers, aren't you?" She nodded at Ro. "Would you please run, get me my pack? Thank you..." Willow hugged the boy gently, watching her padawan go for the medical supplies. She whispered to Qui-Gon as they waited. "...just hold on until I've got you stable and then you can have a nice long rest, hm?" 

Ro came back a few moments later with a pack slung over one shoulder and a glass of some juice. She pressed the cup into the boy's hands and then dropped the pack into her master's arms. "Just sip that a bit..." The young healer said in a low voice, as she sat down next to Willow.

Qui-Gon obliged, bringing the cup to his lips and tasting it tentatively. It was far sweeter than he had expected, and he almost spat it back out with surprise, but as the older healer nodded that he should drink it, he forced himself to swallow. The second sip was easier, although he still didn't recognize the flavor of the juice-it certainly wasn't muja fruit. But it wasn't bad. He could feel the cloudy delirium around him beginning to break, as surely as the moon was breaking through the clouds above him. The sugar was beginning to jump start his body back to wakefulness. 

Willow nodded encouragingly at him, and handed him a pack of crackers. "Good, and eat these. Ro, you go see to the girl, make sure she's had something to eat too, patch her up, you know the drill." Ro nodded to her and turned away to find Tahl. 

Qui-Gon watched the proceedings carefully, nibbling on his cracker hungrily, still attempting to recapture his bearings. Willow was fiddling with her bag again, and Ro had disappeared from sight. He wished he was with Tahl. He felt so confused and muddled, and he didn't really know Willow well enough to confide. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on....

The healer spoke again, in a slow, gentle voice. "Now, I'm just going to give you a little shot of some mild painkillers...alright?" She poised a hypo over his arm expertly, preparing to administer the drug. 

Qui-Gon shuddered and pulled out of her grasp with a little cry. "Willow-please-no needles..." he whimpered, shrinking back. "I..." His voice cracked and he couldn't finish. He wished desperately for Tahl or Dooku or anyone other than this unfamiliar healer. He just could not explain to her... The boy felt his breath squeeze in his throat.

However, the woman's ice-blue eyes softened and she moved away, dropping the hypo. "It's alright. I think I understand. I can give them to you in a pill form." She fished out a bottle from the medpack and handed it to him, inclining her head to the juice Ro had brought him. "Doesn't taste nice, but better, right?" 

Qui-Gon felt a rush of gratitude toward her, nodding quickly, taking a sip of juice and downing the pill. She continued to speak.

"Some of the Philomel have offered their homes for us to spend the night in. Master Azul and your own Master decided it would be best to wait until morning to leave, until everything is sorted out. Come on, I'll patch you up inside."

Qui-Gon accepted her hand as she pulled him to his feet. He allowed her to lead him into one of the long buildings beside them. It struck him suddenly that it must be very late at night. The elusive moon chased clouds through the night sky above them. The rain had stopped.

Once inside, the boy found himself in a small bedroom that had hastily been converted into a hospital. Willow guided him over to a bed and motioned for him to lie down while she pulled various items from her medkit. He watched her in a daze. Whatever was in the pill she had given him was beginning to take effect... And there was something else. He felt almost as if there was a foreign presence in his mind. 

She seemed to know. "How are you feeling?"

He tried to focus on her. "Sleepy..."

Willow smiled vaguely at him and reached in to adjust the blankets around his shoulders. Her expression was softened as she bent over him. "Could I look at your shoulder?" The healers voice was quiet and pretty, it comforted him somehow.

He nodded. A disconnected part of him now knew he was feeling the effects of Willow's mind influence. He had heard about it before, although never felt it's full force. Her species were especially perceptive to the feelings of others, not exactly mind-readers, but telekinetic all the same. She was often assigned to work with trauma patients at the temple because of this ability. With the Healer's combination of force-suggestion and her natural gentle spirit, Willow's skill was invaluable to fight against shock and panic in these sort of cases. 

The medicine had already began to work in Qui-Gon. He felt everything else draining away except for her lovely soft voice. He listened in a daze as she murmured to him the universal: "Where does it hurt?" 

"Hm, everywhere..." the boy confided dreamily. "Muh-Hadden beat me up pretty good..."

"Oh...okay." Willows fingers felt pleasantly warm against the scarred and raw skin of his healing back and he relaxed. He felt the tension seep slowly out of his muscles. She was an expert, and he felt safe.

"Yes, I see the bruises. And these burns?" 

"Mm-hm. Electro-jabbers." Qui-Gon spoke again in the same sleepy fashion. Despite the painful things he had to tell her, he seemed content, not bothered by the questions at all. 

"Well, those wounds will heal up quickly enough." She smiled at him, and he felt inexplicably happy. Willow didn't frighten him by telling how bad of shape he was in, or how horrifying his wounds were. He felt another surge of gratitude as she spoke again, the reassuring words he so desperately needed to hear. "The burn across your ribs from the blaster is only a graze. It must have been frightening, the shock of it, but it's a mild hit..." The healer began to bandage his side. "See, it's not too bad?"

"Okay..." Qui-Gon found himself smiling dully, as though drugged. A tiny part of him reasoned that he only felt happy because she had him practically hypnotized with the force, but the lack of pain came as such a welcome respite that he could not care. For the first time in weeks there was some other feeling besides the agony that had become his world. "Thank you," he whispered, and meant it. 

She smiled her pretty smile, and pulled a blanket over him. "Certainly. Now I'll be tending to you a bit more, just putting on some bacta and things, so don't be afraid if you feel me bandaging you up. I want you to try to sleep for a little bit, alright?"

He wanted nothing more than to sleep. The pain had faded away to dreaminess, now he could rest properly. He nodded as Willow tucked in the blankets around him. "'mm-hm, sleep." Qui-Gon repeated after her.

She grinned again, and pressed a hand against his temple, finishing his consciousness off with a slight force suggestion. 

~*~

An hour later, Dooku was waiting outside the door as Willow exited the little room. "Well? How is he?"

Willow sighed, shutting the bag of medical supplies, her expression grim. She did not answer right away, instead setting the kit down, and accepting a cup of tea from her padawan who had been waiting as well. 

"Thank you Ro..." She sat down beside the girl, closing her eyes and taking a sip of the tea. "How's the girl?"

Ro spoke quietly, so not to disturb the sleepers in the rooms down the hall. "A little shoulder wound, she said from some...plant..." she raised her eyebrows at her master. "...but it was healing. A mild concussion as well, but otherwise fine."

Willow nodded wearily and leaned back. Across the room, Dooku cleared his throat impatiently. 

"My padawan?" he prompted.

She kneaded her forehead with her hands. "It took all of my abilities to keep him sedated enough to find out just how he had been injured..." she took a breath, and opened her eyes to stare a Dooku. "He's dehydrated, and half-starved for a start. There's some sort of infection, something in his body I can't quite pinpoint...in addition to a multitude of other wounds. He's been functioning like this for a good deal of time." She sighed again, and looked over at Ro a moment before continuing. "And there's something else, Dooku..." Her face grew sad. "I don't know exactly what happened to him, that could get him in that shape but...it was bad. We're going to have to put the pieces back carefully, or he'll break." 

Dooku stared at the healer, his features frozen in a look of uncharacteristic panic. Slowly, it melted into blankness. He nodded. 

Willow stood and walked across the room to the door. Her padawan followed. "There's another bed in there, across from him. Why don't you sleep in there in case he awakens during the night. I gave him a good dose of painkiller, but he's still rather restless."

Dooku nodded again, starting toward the door.

"Wait-" Ro's clear voice broke through the silence. Both Dooku and Willow stared at her. She crossed the space between herself and Dooku, offering a little basket to the tall Master. 

He looked down at her in silent question. 

"Tahl asked if I could give this to Qui-Gon. Will you take it in there for him?" She looked down at the basket. "She said it was his." 

Dooku peered into the basket. Bright dew-drop eyes stared back at him curiously. A little bird was crouched in the basket, a puffball of downy scarlet. It chirped softly at the master. "Oh..." He took the basket from the young healer and nodded. "Thank you."

Then Dooku turned and crossed the threshold into the little bedroom. It was a plain, wood paneled room, with one window, through which a beam of moonlight flooded in. The moonlight was the room's only illumination at this hour. The master scattered it across the floor as he crept past the window, the tossing off shadows and the blocking of light being the only disturbance he made to the quiet room. Qui-Gon remained sleeping and still, too exhausted to wake even if his Master had been loud. The little Jedi did not even snore; completely unconscious in his rest. 

Dooku paused beside the cot, looking down at his padawan. For so many nights he had prayed that he could take a short walk across the hall and see this simple sight: Qui-Gon, alive, and sleeping peacefully. But now it was bittersweet. He had his apprentice back, but he could never have his child back. Even now with Qui-Gon safe, and even on some level of comfort, Dooku knew it was already too late to save his soul. Something sacred and irreparable in him had been forever lost. Now he was looking at a shell, a shell that looked mockingly like the Qui-Gon he had sent to Childor, sleeping deeply here.

Dooku sat down on the chair next to the bed, the bird resting in his lap, surveying Qui-Gon sadly. It seemed all so strange to him. On Coruscant he had been so sure of his padawan's death, and now it felt surreal to see him here, breathing, alive. Tentatively, he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder afraid that his touch might shatter the dreamy still. Under his palm, he could feel horrible scars through the thin sleep shirt, etched across the skin like careless graffiti into some work of art. Grief ripped through him when his apprentice shuddered at the touch, a response instilled in him after weeks of constant pain. Qui-Gon flinched, even in his sleep, and tried to pull away. Dooku could almost taste his fear. 

His first desire was to turn and leave this pain. But he knew he could not. He had caused it. He had sent the boy into that pit of hell that had broken his spirit. And now he had to make it better, somehow.

"Before, I thought you were too naive. And now I've gone and destroyed your innocence." Dooku murmured softly; brokenly. He touched their mental bond softly with a light wave of reassurance. Qui-Gon did not pull away this time, instead settling deeper into his blankets with a contented sigh. His mind quieted again.

Dooku sighed and set the basket and bird down on the night stand. There was nothing else to do now. Softly he got up, and crossed the room to the cot on the other side. He did not bother to undress, dropping wearily onto the blanket and exhaling sharply.

Across the room, he heard Qui-Gon wince, even in his sleep, either from pain or dream. He remembered Willow's words and shuddered. He raised his hands in front of his eyes to look at them. The moonlight turned them white silhouettes against the black of night.

He heard the boy shift again. In the past, when he had shared a room with his padawan he had found it amusing when the boy talked in his sleep. Now he doubted anything Qui-Gon said would be funny. 

The hands clenched.

Dooku shut his eyes tightly and lay back against the hard cot, but he could not find sleep.


	18. Name

Author's note: Well, here we are again, the rambling before the fic. :D Except… *SNIFF* this is the last rambling you'll hear from me in this fic. AS this is the last chapter. The final closing curtain of Kite. Luckily, (or unluckily, for those of you who did not enjoy this) I'm too obsessed with this storyline to let it end here. So thus, you will see at the end, a slightly corny, but valid trailer for K2, or WALK ON~~~ as the sequel shall be henceforth known. I hope you have enjoyed my little (okay, 18 chapters later, not so little) pet fic. This has been 3-4 years in the making, almost one year in the posting and you all have been such wonderful faithful readers. A few acknowledgements to those who have taken their time to review the last chapter-

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Sarah: You're very welcome…oh…oh no…don't die… ;) Hope you like this update. ^_^ thanks for your support!!

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Seung Mina6: :D thank you for the review! Uh-huh, Qui's all safe again…well…for now. :D I hope you like the conclusion! 

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Athena Leigh: (blushes) thank yoooooou. Well, again, I really hope you enjoy the conclusion. OOOh, you like Tahl's master's name? :D hehehe! Do you get it?!!! :D Azul, spanish for blue…and she's blue, herself, I mean-her skin. *giggles* I thought I was being so clever… Of course, it wasn't so clever that when I was in Spanish class brainstorming this bit out the many failing grades I received…^_^

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Lay'ren: Yay, can't wait for it to be up on your site. Again, thanks for the support, 18 chapters later, and being patient while I got this all set. Lol, compliment indeed, I didn't torture cute little Qui-Gons before I met you. Well, only a little. :D

Um…let the final chapter commence!

Qui-Gon's eyes flickered. His mind stirred, though his body remained still. He was certain it would hurt him to move, and he wasn't quiet ready for hurt this early in the morning. So the boy let his eyes remain fixed on the ceiling, while his conscious wandered. The sun had not yet risen, although he could see from the lightening of the little room that the stars and night were fading and dying under the breaking day. He breathed in slowly. 

  


He couldn't quite decide if he was hungry or not. But he felt better at the moment. The mattress felt soft and warm beneath him, and it didn't poke into his hurting back like the ground in the forest. Qui-Gon pressed his cheek against his pillow. It was nice to be cared for. He didn't have to worry so much. It felt like he belonged to someone. Dooku's oversized robe was still wrapped around his shoulders, and the boy could smell smoke mingled with the clean soap scent he always associated with his master. He forced his thoughts away from the night.

  


As light began to creep across the ceiling, he eased his body up. It seemed such a pity to destroy the little bubble of warmth and well-being. However, as Qui-Gon shifted, he felt only a slight twinge of soreness in his shoulders. The proper sleep had done him well. For the first time in weeks, he could see a day coming when he could feel normal again...on the outside at least.

  


"It's a wonder what a mattress can do..." he thought idly, stretching. 

  


Beside him, he heard a soft chirping noise. Qui-Gon turned to see Li-Bird flapping out of her basket and lighting on the edge of his bed. He smiled at the fragile bird and cupped his hand under her, lifting the creature gently into his lap. 

  


She sat perfectly in the padawan's palm a moment, preening her crimson feathers as he stared down at her. She moved with quick, perfect little movements, using her beak to nip every feather into its appointed place. He smiled happily at her, marveling at her delicate beauty. However, once Li-Bird had finished her grooming, she stretched her wings and darted out of Qui-Gon's hands and into mischief. 

  


He stumbled out of bed, attempting to catch the bird before she hurt herself, but Li-Bird seemed only to find it a grand game as she haphazardly flipped here and there. Qui-Gon froze, hoping that she would land and he could snatch her up. She landed, but her choice of location could not have been worse. Her light body perched on the shoulder of Qui-Gon's sleeping master. 

  


Qui-Gon scarcely breathed. He had not even realized that Dooku was in the room. The Jedi Master was utterly silent, deeply asleep. Soft pink colors of morning flooded in from the window, painting his pale face with an unnatural warmth. His dark lashes flickered as he dreamed. His hands were clasped into fists by his side.

  


Li-Bird hopped over the master's shoulder down to his chest. Her brilliant red tail feathers flicked Dooku's cheek as she passed.

  


Qui-Gon saw his face twitch.

  


Slowly the boy tip-toed across the room, holding out a hand toward Li-Bird. But at the last moment, she took flight, a scarlet blur zipping toward the window, toward the sunlight and trees. Qui-Gon saw it too late. The bird smashed full force into the glass and fell with a little thump. 

  


He cried out and then turned it into a squeak, scurrying over to his fallen pet. She was crouched in a daze under the window sill, her perfect feathers rumpled, her bright little eyes unfocused. The boy scooped her light frame up brokenly, crooning softly to the creature. "Oh, Li-Bird, no..." 

  


However, it took a bit more to kill off Li-Bird than a knock on the head. She was, after all, a species from Childor, and living in the Eli Mwet made her almost indestructible by design. Qui-Gon took a deep breath as she steadied herself in his hand. "You really aren't an indoor creature, are you?" 

  


As if to answer she began to struggle out of his grip. He gently pinned her wings against her small body and slide his arms into the sleeves of the robe draped around him. "You would hate Coruscant. I suppose it's time you go free." 

  


His eyes strayed out the window, to the predawn glow of the outdoors. Soon he would be leaving this place forever. He intended to never come back, not until time itself had wheeled out into nothing but particles of dust. However, it was a beautiful planet. With any other circumstance, he would have enjoyed his stay.

  


Across the room, Dooku snuffled into his pillow and rolled over. He turned and watched him sleep a moment. The master showed no sign of waking. Tucking his braid behind his ear, Qui-Gon glanced down at Li-Bird, a little smile on his face. "So...what would you say to one last adventure?" 

  


With another quick glance at his master, the boy crossed the room and carefully opened the door. It hardly creaked as his sure hands swung it open and carefully shut it behind him. He stared back at it for a long moment, but there was no sound from the inside. No one had heard him. A small grin widened on his face. He had his time, the solitary moments he needed. 

  


Softly humming a song he only half knew the words to, he set off with Li-Bird on his shoulder. Qui-Gon at first regretted his lack of boots, as his bare feet were cut by the sharp gravel, but soon he reached the cobblestones and began to more fully enjoy the walk. His master's oversized cloak fended off the breeze and took the chill out of morning air. He did not mean to wander far, simply get some air, have a moment. It was such a beautiful morning. He felt better than he had in days, although he was sure that if he was discovered out like this, Willow, Dooku and Ro would in turns lecture him on how he needed to rest in order to heal. 

  


As he wandered through the village, he could see life beginning to stir where there had been none before. The Philomel were starting to emerge after the Muh-Hadden occupation, and pick up the pieces of their village. Spring, again, was coming.

  


An elderly female who had been sweeping up broken glass off her porch, watched him curiously as he passed. He nodded to her, attempting to be friendly, but her stare made him uncomfortable. Qui-Gon realized how odd he must look to her; a sickly thin half-grown human in bare feet and an oversized robe, with a singing little crimson bird on his shoulder and a broken lightsaber hanging from his belt. Qui-Gon felt like a child, in an imaginative game of pretend Jedi. His pace quickened, and he fixed his eyes on the stone road beneath him.

  


His eyes drifted up and the image of the main gate in front of him put a stop to his self conscious pondering. He felt something within his blood freeze. 

  


This had been where the thickest of the fighting had been. As the boy looked around, the very warmth of the sun seemed to drain away, leaving cold death. Rubble was strewn about here, blackened holes scarred structure around him and debris covered the street. As Qui-Gon stepped closer, he could make out corpses littering the ground like limp white drapes among the destruction. The breeze that had felt so playful earlier swung a broken piece of gate on its hinge. The sound of it's agonized creaking sounded haunting among the death littering the ground here.

  


Bile rose in his throat, and his mouth tasted bitter with repulse. This was exactly what he had come here to prevent. His emotions swirled, and for a moment the boy was unsure if he were about to cry, be sick, or simply drop to the ground and break; to shatter to a thousand flawed pieces. 

  


As it was, however, he did none of those things. Instead the boy ran. 

  


Through the shattered gates, past the bruised stone walls, out, away, as if pursued by a demon that clung to him as close as his own shadow, Qui-Gon fled. Stone under his feet turned to dirt and grass, buildings whizzing by him became trees. Finally his body refused to go any further; breaking under him. He gave up, letting his body crumble to the ground. 

  


Li-Bird fluttered off his shoulder and onto the grass beside him, peering up with her bright intelligent eyes, wondering perhaps what they were doing out here, why Qui-Gon was acting so oddly. She had grown accustomed to being outside with this boy, and riding on his shoulder, and it startled her when he moved jerkily, or ran. She screamed at him, her raw cry of uncertainty, begging for his attention and usual meticulous care. The noise echoed in the boy's ears. He glanced up at her.

  


His tears had marked the dust under him. He wished now he had just stayed in bed. The young Jedi tried to slow his breathing, control the quiet sobs that racked his body. He wanted more than anything to just go home.

  


Li-Bird's peeping became incessant. Qui-Gon looked up, holding out one trembling finger to stroke her downy little head. She tilted her head under his fingers, chirping contentedly. A ghost of a smile flickered on his face. "Weird little bird." He pulled himself to his feet, intending to walk back. Qui-Gon paused. 

  


Before him was a path, long and dusty, with trees on both sides that narrowed as the path deepened further into the forest. It looked cheerful and sunny in the morning glory, warm and inviting and not terrible to traverse at all. But Qui-Gon knew better. For if one were to travel down that path, long and far down it for a few miles they would find themselves in a large clearing, a field full of laughing wild flowers and sun and life. And then across the field they would see a gray stone building, blank and expressionless. It would be empty now, its narrow halls and passages deserted of all save the stench of death. And of course, the memories. Indeed, Qui-Gon had been down this road before. 

  


Qui-Gon stared at the path again. Then, slowly, simply, he began down it, Li-Bird flapping in his wake. His bare feet brushed the warm, dusty ground. He had no intention of really going anywhere, the prison was deserted anyway, but he felt the force leading him to follow this road. So he followed. 

  


The morning grew and blossomed around him. He knew he had to be back soon, or Dooku would be unhappy, but he felt as if something needed to be done here...something called him. 

  


A snap in the brush around him made him twist around painfully. No foe presented itself, but his nerves were still shaken. He continued to walk, trying to ignore the uncanny feeling that something was stalking him. He reached for his saber, and found the mutilated hilt. Qui-Gon almost rolled his eyes at himself. Excellent work. A broken saber. Helpful. 

  


When he heard the noise again, he whirled. He reached out with his senses and found...nothing. The boy stopped. The force had shown nothing around him, no inquisitive or hungry forest creature, no foe or anyone intending harm. No life form at all. In fact, the forest felt too empty. Too still. All he knew was what he had heard and the instinctive feeling of being something's prey. 

  


"Shadow!"

  


The thicket crackled as something stirred again. Qui-Gon stepped forward, hoping, praying that he was right. "Shadow!" he yelled, louder this time, feeling his voice crack pitifully. His own heartbeat sounded incredibly loud to him. 

  


A voice finally answered from the underbrush beside the path. It was weaker, more insubstantial then he had ever heard it before, but he knew it. "Man-Child. Shadow did not mean to follow."

  


"Oh-it is you-Shadow, you were wonderful...back in the village, you...we couldn't have..." Qui-Gon's voice trailed off as he peered into the bush. "Shadow, are you alright? Why are you hiding in the weeds?" He took a step closer. 

  


She hissed at him. "No, no-none of the little human's business. Shadow saw the Man-Child wandering off toward the cells, thought best to follow. Not a good path to take, I think...but, ah..." The creature broke off, with a sound like a wince. The growth of plants concealing her quivered. 

  


Qui-Gon cocked his head to one side, not moving but struggling for a look inside the dense undergrowth. Something wasn't right here. He could hear her uneven breaths. "You're hurt..." he whispered, his voice soft and low. He chanced a step closer. "Please, come out."

  


"No!" She snarled, more intensely, and now he could hear the undercurrent of pain in her tone. 

  


"I just want to help you..." Qui-Gon began, reaching a hand out toward her. "Come on?"

  


The brush shuddered again, and Shadow's face appeared, her dark eyes angrily glaring at the Jedi. "Shadow does not need-" The boy caught her hand and she flailed away, shrieking at him. "Shadow is-"

  


"Just let me help!" 

  


Shadow stumbled out of the bushes, in her attempt to flee and fell hard. Although it was one of the most graceful landings he had witnessed, it cost her, and she cried out as she caught her balance. Qui-Gon could see a angry red burn across her shoulder and chest, the unmistakable mark of a blaster fired at close range. "Man-Child!" She screamed at him in rage, but made no effort to move, her bright eyes maddened with pain. 

  


"Oh!" Qui-Gon dropped beside her, reaching out an hand. His fingers brushed her cold skin, and he drew back in surprise. The hurt on her face made her seem somehow more human, and he had forgotten for moment that she was Shadow, the strange icy creature of the darkness. He looked again.

  


She was shaking, one hand clasped over her shoulder, her body weight leaning on the other as she lay in the dust. Her eyes stared up at Qui-Gon in a mixture of agony and anger, pain turned to aggression as a wounded animal will bite. But she wasn't an animal... He saw a splotch on the path, a her dark blood spilt from the wound. And not all of her was shadow... 

  


Qui-Gon put aside his uncertainly, and took hold of her good arm, hauling the creature to her feet. She moaned as she rose and then collapsed against the boy. Qui-Gon caught her cold, alien body somewhat awkwardly, and supported her weight against him. "You need bacta." He whispered, helping her along. "Please, trust me."

  


Shadow stared at him a long moment through her pain glazed eyes before finally nodding. Together they limped back toward the gate. The going was slow and painful for both of them, but finally they reached the edge of the village. The creature looked up at him. "No, Shadow cannot...cannot go in there, Man-Child." She shook her head. "You don't understand."

  


"I understand better than you think." He murmured, glancing up to see a shape approaching them. Alarm flared through him at that. He thought there was a rather good chance whoever was coming down that path wasn't friendly. 

  


"Listen to me!" Shadow hissed. "Shadow will not go to your little..." she trailed off, apparently searching her limited knowledge of Basic to properly explain. "...to your people! You and I are different!" She protested, digging her feet into the ground.

  


Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at her switching back and forth to first and third person. He squinted at the person approaching them.. It was Tahl. His heart leapt.

  


"Tahl! Will you help me with her?"

  


Tahl ran the last few feet between them. Her face was tight and anxious. "What happened? You shouldn't be out here like this! Willow and Dooku are really mad! The ship is set to depart soon!"

  


Qui-Gon motioned at Shadow. "She's injured, we can't leave! We've got to get her to Willow or Ro or someone...Tahl, help me!" 

  


Shadow was squirming and wriggling desperately out of Qui-Gon's grasp as he spoke. She had nearly freed herself. Tahl stared at the creature. "Qui-Gon, just a thought, it seems like she doesn't really want medical attention..."

  


"But she needs...it..." He yelped as Shadow sunk her teeth into his hand and let go. Free at last, she promptly turned to flee and then tripped to the ground again. "See?" 

  


"I can take care of myself." She gritted out, digging her fingers and toes into the ground stubbornly. "Shadow always has."

  


"Qui-Gon, leave her, we need to go..." Tahl offered him a hand. "If she say's she'll be fine, she'll be fine. Now come on, we're in enough trouble as it is."

  


Qui-Gon stared at Tahl a long moment. No, it could not end like this. He felt a desperate desire well up inside of him. He had to help the creature. It was only by grace that he hadn't become like her. Some part of the soul that had been spared inside of him, had been destroyed completely in Shadow. And yet, they had endured some of the same things, he felt a connection. If there was any way that he could save her...restore her...Qui-Gon ignored Tahl's hand and crouched next to the creature. "Shadow-come to Coruscant with us." 

  


"What?!" Shadow and Tahl spoke in unison. 

  


Qui-Gon nodded, going on. "Come on, you can recover, you can get a new life, you can find your family...make friends...you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. The Jedi can help you. What do you say?"

  


Shadow stared at him, her eyes wide. "C-coruscant?"

  


He nodded again. "The capital of the republic. It's where I'm from."

  


She considered a long moment, her eyes not breaking Qui-Gon's gaze. "No, Man-child." She finally looked down, studying the grass and dirt below her. "No, this is my home." She motioned to the forest. "I am who I am, Shadow has accepted this. You cannot change it. I will never be like you. That choice passed Shadow long ago."

  


Qui-Gon was silent a moment, staring down at the ground. He felt lost. He couldn't understand her reason, nor could he help her. Perhaps Childor existed merely to remind him of his failings. Slowly he nodded. He ripped a piece of Dooku's robe into strips, praying his Master would understand. Then he began to bind her wound. 

  


Shadow froze, letting him tie the bit of cloth in a makeshift bandage, and when he finished she nodded her head in thanks. He helped her to her feet. 

  


"Well, the ship is leaving soon. I suppose this is goodbye. We couldn't have done it without you." he sighed, wishing there was more he could do. "Thank you." Qui-Gon swallowed. 

  


Shadow shrugged. "Shadow swore revenge on the Muh-Hadden, now I have it. Thank you, Man-Child." She turned to Tahl. "And you as well." She smiled, showing her teeth. 

  


They turned to walk away, but Qui-Gon hesitated, and walked back to her. Tahl paused, watching. 

  


Qui-Gon reached into his pocket where Li-Bird had settled herself and drew the little bird out. She peeped at him, and he stroked her soft head gently, whispering to her as he walked back to Shadow. The boy chewed his lip a moment, and then held out the creature. "Her name is Li-Bird." His voice cracked.

  


Shadow stared at the bird and then at Qui-Gon. 

  


He went on. "She's not really an indoor pet. I couldn't keep her on Coruscant, she'd be miserable in a hospital room." He sighed at the words, knowing how bleak his return to the Temple now seemed, with the prospect of weeks of captivity in the healers. "She'll look after you. Promise if I give you her you won't..." he swallowed. "...eat her or something."

  


Shadow nodded, taking the fledgling chick from Qui-Gon. Immediately the bird hopped onto her good shoulder, knowing the routine for another exploration or adventure. 

  


"Oh...and..." Now came the moment of truth, the moment where he knew whether or not he had passed his own test, the moment where he knew whether or not he could accept things. His voice faltered further. "...m-my name is Qui-Gon." The young Jedi breathed in. "Qui-Gon Jinn."

  


At first Shadow seemed confused, bewildered by this sudden statement and she began to pass it off. But then, something clicked. She nodded slowly, hesitantly, and seemed to search for something deep in her memory. For that instant, she looked more human and less Shadow than he had ever seen her.

  


"Qui-Gon...Qui-Gon Jinn." She closed her eyes. "My name is Loria."

  


"Loria..." he whispered, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you."

  


He turned back to Tahl and started back into the village. They passed the path, the gate, the forest and Shadow faded out of sight. The two friends wearily made their way through the cobblestone streets to the ships where their masters were waiting. 

  


"That was good of you, Qui-Gon." Tahl murmured as they went. 

  


"Hm?" He looked up, but his face seemed darkened, heavy. She noticed how slow his movements were and took his hand in support.

  


"I mean, with Shadow." 

  


"Oh...." he sighed, his eyes straying back toward the forest. "I just wish I could help her."

  


"You have." Tahl insisted, pausing beside him. "You've got to stop blaming yourself for everything that happened here." 

  


"Alright." He sighed, and smiled wanly at her. "I'll let you know how that turns out." 

  


"You do that." She grinned.

  


"I'm just..." he sighed out his frustration, and studied the ground, oblivious to the fact that they were both standing in the middle of the street having stopped. "...I'm just so tired." 

  


She lead him back toward the houses they had been staying in, smiling. "You should be. Willow's going to kill you for going out in your condition. Anyway, Qui, guess what?" She paused under an alcove, turning to face him as they reached the doorway. Her smile grew. 

  


He turned to her, perplexed. "What?" 

  


Tahl leaned up to him, whispering in his ear. "We get to go home."

  


He broke into the boyish smile she knew so well and laughed softly. "Home." Sun and shadow chased each other on his face as the alcove half shaded them. Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around his friend impulsively, and she moved with him in the embrace. "You're right. We get to go home."

  


Life would patiently allow them the moment, but only this one. Every indescribable thing that they had experienced on this planet of beautiful death weighed and meshed together in that instant. A blur of scar and memory, blood and bond, danger and beauty swirled between them. Life would go on as it had. And their time here was at an end. 

  


Qui-Gon pushed up on his tiptoes to kiss his friend gently on the forehead, brushing her hair aside softly as he did. Feather light and delicately unobtrusive, she felt his lips against her skin. Then they broke away.

  


Tahl looked up at Qui-Gon again. Now this chapter of his tale was over, but she could see in his eyes that the book on Childor could never truly be closed. He had come a long way since the broken corpse she had coaxed back to life in the forests of the Eli Mwet, but there was something in him still sick, still hurting. She remember the night before, his sure words about death ringing in her ears. The boy, the young promising child she knew, had indeed been killed, as Dooku had feared on Coruscant. But Qui-Gon was still alive, somewhere in the jaded eyes and stained spirit. And he would go on, in spite of the winds that threatened to catch him and pull him away. The kite, blowing out of control on the breeze. 

  


He was smiling now, perhaps wondering why she had been staring at him for a full minute. Tahl grinned back. "I hear Azul inside. It's time to head for our separate ships." She paused. "Master told me this morning; you and Dooku get to ride with the healers." 

  


He quirked his lips at her. "Lucky us. " He nodded to her, and opened the door. "Tahl. See you on Coruscant." 

  


Tahl opened the door that had lead to Azul and her room, winking at him. 

  


"See you on Coruscant."

  


~*~

Did I waste it?

  


Not so much I couldn't taste it.

  


Life should be fragrant,

  


Rooftop to the basement...

  
~*~**Okay, roll the credits! By the way, if anyone was looking for more Kitey fun, in a little bit Sarah will be posting a chapter of her journal type fic Making (****) chronicling the events of Kite through Qui-Gon's eyes. I've read a little bit she sent me and it rocks! I'm not sure exactly when it will be out, but her fic Making is one of the best if not the best young Qui-Gon fic in business, and I'm thrilled to be a little part of it!~*~**

Now, on with the trailer…

  
  


[darkness]

  


****

And love...

  


[The sun rises on Coruscant, bloody and spectacular..]

[Tahl chasing after her friend down the halls of the temple.. She catches his hand, he breaks her grip...tears are running down her face]

  


"Why would I lie to you?!"

****

It's not the easy thing...

  


[Qui-Gon huddled against a concrete wall, looking up as he is soaked by rain]

  


"...don't...let...go..."

  


****

...the only baggage...

[two sabers, gold and green, spin and flash, dueling]

  


"Your point of view nearly had me killed!"

  


[a blonde man laughing]

****

..that you can bring...

  


"I don't want to hurt you."

  


"By all means, go ahead and try."

  


****

Love, it's not the easy thing...

  


[dooku's voice]

"I suppose now I should tell you everything I should have told you the moment we left Childor."

  


****

The only baggage you can bring...

  


"...and perhaps you need to tell me some things as well."

  


"What do you mean, 'he left'?!"

  


****

...is all that you can't... leave...behind...

  


[a shot of Qui-Gon's eyes, wide and full of incredulous tears. He takes a step back.]

  


"Betrayer!"   


Walk On, coming to a fanfiction board near you Spring 2004


End file.
